General Housing Establishment Begins Allocation to Applicants in Some Social Housing Programmes
Nearly two decades after launching a number of youth housing projects and four decades after launching savings housing projects, the General Housing Establishment (GHE) began on January 16 to allocate hundreds of housing units to applicants.
The units were spread out across social housing projects in four governorates: 2,080 youth housing units in the Dimas project in Rural Damascus, 633 youth housing and savings housing units in Aleppo, 160 youth and savings units in Homs, and 160 youth housing units in Quneitra.
Allocating housing to an applicant means concluding a contract between the applicant and the GHE that determines the obligations of both parties. The contract, which is registered by the Ministry of Public Works and Housing, includes the location and description of the housing unit. However, allocation does not mean that construction of the housing unit has been completed or that the date for handover is near. Rather, the contract serves as a title deed so long as the remaining financial obligations are met.
During the allocation process, applicants for housing check lists of names published by various branches of the GHE. If they find their names on the lists, they must bring their personal documents and a so-called housing “allocation book” to an “allocation session,” the date for which the GHE determines. During the session, the applicant may choose the location of the apartment they want. When part of the housing payment is made, the contract is then signed and officially registered by the Ministry of Public Works and Housing. Applicants are entitled to appoint someone to act on their behalf during these steps. Those who do not attend the allocation sessions receive whatever housing remains in a given project. Allocation is canceled for those who fail to complete these procedures within the specified deadline.
The GHE’s initial announcement for the launch of its various social housing programmes were usually accompanied by three main points of information: location, timeline for implementation, and the estimated cost of the resulting housing units. However, these three points are not legally binding as they are merely part of a preliminary announcement and are usually subject to change. Meanwhile, housing allocation contracts impose no timeframe or financial obligations on the GHE.
It remains unclear whether the GHE has ever fully implemented any social housing projects within the initially announced time frame. For example, subscription for youth housing in the New Dimas project has been completed since 2004 and units were planned to be handed over to applicants in 2016. Years after that target date, the GHE is only just now inviting applicants who have paid their dues to attend allocation sessions and participate in the allocation process. It must be clarified that once again the time period between allocation and handover of housing units has not yet been determined.
The Ministry of Public Works and Housing said in March 2021 that it would finish all ongoing social housing projects by the end of 2024. However, the director of the GHE reneged on that statement, saying in October 2021 that the body would finish allocation for all housing applicants by the end of 2024. That is, 2024 would see the completion of the allocation process rather than handover of completed housing units, meaning there remains no clear deadline for applicants to receive their homes.