(Ecofin Agency) - In a statement published on October 4 in the framework of the world and Arab housing days, Morocco’s ministry of housing and urbanism announced that the country’s housing deficit dropped from 1.2 million units in 2002 to 400,000 units in 2018. This represents a reduction of 800,000 units within 16 years.

According to the ministry, this performance is “the evidence of the efforts initiated by the Moroccan government to improve citizens’ living conditions by offering decent housings which are affordable and appropriate to various social classes, via notably the national programme for towns without slum areas launched in 2004”.

Since the launch of this programme, 59 out of the 85 towns targeted have been deemed “without slums”, thus contributing to the improvement of the living conditions of more than 1.5 million residents.

Furthermore, the upgrading of poorly equipped and non-regulatory towns helped generalize access to basic infrastructures, thus improving the living conditions of 1.6 million households equivalent to about 8 million residents.  

The ministry ensures that the efforts made by Morocco to improve residents’ living conditions “are delivered by innovative supporting schemes that many countries, African notably, are trying to emulate”.

Public land mobilization and the development of partnerships with the private sector for promotion of social housing helped boost Morocco’s capacity to build those housings."The government also performed reforms of its judicial system which translated into the elaboration of many laws to regulate the sector, encourage investments and facilitate housings' access to citizens from different social classes", the ministry added.  

 Flore Kacou