Gov’t sets up plans to build homes for middle-income citizens
Gülistan Alagöz - ISTANBUL
Following a major project for social housing, the government’s second move in the housing sector will be the middle-income campaign.
Stating that the campaign, which is expected to apply different interest rates according to income, has reached the final stage, Environment, Urban Planning and Climate Change Minister Murat Kurum noted that a model has been prepared that will benefit those in need, not investors.
“While we started a social housing move for our low-income citizens, we wanted to make a new study for middle-income people who could not meet the conditions,” Kurum told daily Hürriyet in an interview.
“We are conducting this campaign jointly with the Treasury and Finance Ministry. With the campaign, both the purchasing conditions of the citizens will improve and financial support will be provided to the developers to increase the production. Our main goal will be to provide an advantage to the citizens who will buy their first house. The campaign will not be a commercial tool, it will offer a solution to the need for accommodation.”
The government’s social housing project, which is in progress, aims to create 250,000 houses, 1 million plots and 10,000 workplaces for low-income citizens in the first stage.
Kurum said the project has drawn huge interest, noting that more than 5 million applications were received for the 250,000 houses and that the new owners are being determined with draws.
“We started to identify the rights holders, we draw lots every day,” he said.
“We do it in the presence of a notary public and in a transparent manner. The beneficiaries of nearly 100,000 residences have been determined and the tenders for the construction of 25,000 houses were also held. Land and workplaces will be set up very soon and all the draws will be finished by March.”
The minister added that the new project will also have favorable conditions.
“We will offer the best terms both through our contractors and our banks,” Kurum said.
“At the point that we have reached today, we have managed to stop the price increase with social housing. Now we aim to protect this situation with the new campaign.”
Kurum also said that urban transformation projects continue all around the country to transform buildings threatened by earthquakes.
“For example, there are 1.2 million buildings and 5.9 million residences in Istanbul,” the minister said.
“Around 1.5 million of those residences are at risk, 250,000 of which must be transformed urgently. I want to appeal to our citizens. It is not your destiny to live a risky life, a life of anxiety. Let’s make your homes healthy together. We are ready to be with you with aids of relocation, rent and favorable payment terms.”
