Urban Housing Ownership program to begin in 2024

COLOMBO (News 1st); The preliminary stage of the program to award ownership of housing units constructed under various urban development programmes to the occupants will commence in February 2024, said the Ministry of Urban Development and Housing.

The secretary to the Ministry of Urban Development and Housing W. S. Sathyananda said that the ownership of housing units constructed by the Urban Development Authority, National Housing Development Authority, and the Urban Settlement Development Authority, across all districts will be handed over to the occupants.

He said that 52,000 such housing units have been identified, and in the preliminary stage deeds will be award to 50% of them.

The secretary to the Ministry of Urban Development and Housing W. S. Sathyananda said officials have been instructed to expedite the program that will be implemented as a budget proposal.

In his 2024 Budget Speech, President Ranil Wickremesinghe said that houses constructed under various urban development programmes have been 
rented to low-income families, and monthly rent of around Rs. 3,000 is obtained from those families. 

The President proposed to completely stop collecting rent from these families, and also announced that the full ownership of these houses will be given to those families. 

"In 2024, nearly 50,000 families will be given the ownership of these houses. By the completion of the programme of providing land and housing rights to the 
people, about 70 percent of the people of this country will become the owners of  land and houses," he said in his budget speech.