Housing
Introduction
The Ministry of Housing and Land Use Planning is mainly involved in creating access to decent, safe, affordable and ecological residential units within green conscious communities. Moreover, to ensure that land is used optimally to support economic growth and social inclusiveness whilst protecting the environment and enhancing green living. Social housing developments are planned in such a manner so as to encourage social integration of inhabitants in the region. Hence, this Ministry, together with the National Housing Development Company Ltd (NHDC) and its subsidiary, the New Social Living Development Ltd (NSLD) are mandated to deliver housing units to needy families.
Vision
To offer a decent house with adequate facilities in a suitable living environment to every Mauritian family.
Mission
• To facilitate access to decent, safe, affordable and ecological housing units fitted with adequate services to cater for the different and evolving needs of present and future generations.
- •To strengthen social and cultural integration through the provision of appropriate social and recreational facilities in social housing development such as multipurpose/ commercial area, children's playgrounds, green/common spaces and walking/ jogging/pétanque areas for the welfare of the residents.
- • To promote green living practices within our social housing projects, integrating sustainable design, renewable energy solutions and efficient resource management to minimize environmental impact and enhance the quality of life for residents.
- •To build sustainable communities through the development of socially inclusive housing projects that prioritize environmental responsibility, resilience, and long-term viability, contributing to the well-being of both current and future generations in Mauritius.
- • To promote equity and inclusiveness by providing sustainable housing to vulnerable groups (elderly person, person with disabilities and other hardship cases).
- •Ensure a good living housing condition of inhabitant of NHDC housing estates through the implementation of rehabilitation and upgrading works.
- • Encourages self-help construction for household who want to construct housing units on their own through the casting of roof slab or the purchase of building material schemes.
Provision of housing units
The current housing scheme is based on the combined household income not exceeding Rs 30,000.
The type of housing unit consists of at least 2 bedrooms, 1 kitchen, 1 living room, 1 toilet and 1 bathroom. Social and recreational amenities are provided within the housing estates, where required, so as to better integrate the residents within these housing estates.
This Ministry reserves 10% of the total number of housing units in all its projects for the beneficiaries of the Ministry of Social Integration and Economic Empowerment identified under the National Empowerment Foundation eligibility criteria for social housing.
The housing units are sold to beneficiaries by the NHDC Ltd, with subsidy from the Government as follows:
Household Income
| Payment by Beneficiaries
| Government Subsidy
|
≤ Rs 30,000
| 33%
| 67%
|
List of projects being implemented by the National Housing Development Co. Ltd (NHDC)
SN
| Site No
| Housing Unit
|
1
| Mare D’Albert
| 203
|
2
| La Valette
| 223 |
3
| Solitude I
| 18
|
4
| Quatre Cocos
| 52
|
5
| Wooton Millenium | 126
|
6
| Melrose
| 49
|
7
| Sebastopol | 30
|
8
| Camp Ithier
| 72
|
9
| Solitude II
| 72
|
List of projects being implemented by the New Social Living Development Co. Ltd (NSLD)
SN
| SITE
| No. Housing Unit
|
1
| Pointe
Aux Sables
| 300
|
2
| Coromandel
| 100
|
3
| Coromandel
| 50
|
4
| Coromandel
| 200
|
5
| Coromandel
| 400
|
6
| Arsenal
1 (Opposite Arsenal Government School)
| 284
|
7
| Arsenal
2 (Opposite Pépinière d’Arsenal)
| 290
|
8
| Riche
Terre 1 (Opposite Jinfei Eden Garden)
| 176
|
9
| Notre
Dame
| 400
|
10
| Pointe
Aux Piments
| 200
|
11
| Riche
Terre 2 (Opposite Port Chambly)
| 200
|
12
| Reunion
Maurel
| 216
|
13
| Goodlands
(Traffic Centre)
| 184
|
14
| L'Esperance
Trebuchet
| 400
|
15
| Valetta
| 76
|
16
| Cote
D'Or
| 324
|
17
| Camp
Ithier
| 188
|
18
| Quatre
Cocos
| 212
|
19
| Bel
Air
| 188
|
20
| Olivia | 212
|
21
| Balisson | 400
|
22
| Mare
D'Albert
| 200
|
23
| Grand
Bel Air
| 200
|
24
| Tyack
| 200
|
25
| Souillac
| 200
|
26
| Bambous
| 100
|
27
| Beaux
Songes
| 230
|
28
| Hermitage
1 (Behind Bus Terminal)
| 124
|
29
| Hermitage
2 (Adjacent to La Digue Hermitage)
| 276
|
30
| Henrietta
1 (Adjacent Rivulet Augustin)
| 308
|
31
| Henrietta
3 (Behind NHDC)
| 92
|
32
| Malherbes
| 68
|
33
| La Brasserie
| 224
|
34
| Camp Le Juge
| 108
|
35
| La Source – Lot 1 to Lot 6, Lot 9
| 300
|
36
| Puspass
| 100
|
37
| Camp
Levieux
| 200
|
38
| Riambel
| 70
|
Sale of Housing Unit
The beneficiaries can settle the cost of the houses at the NHDC Ltd either by cash or through Government sponsored loans from financial institution such as the Mauritius Housing Company (MHC) or from other lending institutions.
With regard to the plot of State Land on which stand the house, beneficiaries are granted a long term residential lease expiring on the 30 June 2060 on the plot of land. Annual rentals for leases regarding sites built up with a housing unit are at a nominal rate based on the beneficiaries' income, as detailed below:
With regard to the plot of State Land on which stand the house, beneficiaries are granted a long term residential lease expiring on the 30 June 2060 on the plot of land. Annual rentals for leases regarding sites built up with a housing unit are at a nominal rate based on the beneficiaries’ income, as detailed below:
Household Income
| Annual Rental
| Remarks
|
<Rs 7,500
| Re 1
| 50% increase for each subsequent period of 10 years.
|
Rs 7501 - Rs 10,000
| Rs 1000
| 50% increase for each subsequent period of 10 years.
|
Rs 10,001 - Rs 15,000
| Rs 2000
| 50% increase for each subsequent period of 10 years.
|
Rs 15,001 - Rs 25,000
| Rs 3000
| 50% increase for each subsequent period of 10 years.
|
Rs 25,001 - Rs 30,000
| Rs 6000
| 50% increase for each subsequent period of 10 years.
|
On allocating a housing unit it is usual practice that the land on which stands the housing unit be leased to the beneficiary of the housing unit except for high rise apartment/duplex type houses whereby the land will be leased in the name of the respective “Syndicat de Copropriétés”
Casting of Roof Slab and Purchase of Building Materials Grant Scheme
The Government also encourages self-help construction of housing units to families who already own a plot of land and are having difficulties to construct a concrete housing unit. These families are financially assisted through a grant scheme either for the casting of roof slabs to complete their construction or for the purchase of building materials to start their construction.
To further support families in their endeavor to construct their own house, the grant scheme for the casting of roof slab and purchase of building materials has been increased in Budget 2023/2024 as follows:
Scheme
| Household Income Eligibility
| Amount
|
Roof Slab Grant/ Purchase of Building Materials
| ≤ Rs15,000
| Maximum one-off cash grant of Rs 130,000
|
Rs 15,001 -Rs 20,000
| Maximum one- off cash grant of Rs 100,000
|
Rs 20,001 -Rs 30,000
| Maximum one- off cash grant of Rs 75,000
|
(i). Households who own a plot of land but cannot afford to complete construction of their house which has reached up to the beam level. The grant is for the casting of roof slab for an area of up to 100 m². Allowable building plan area may reach up to 150 m².
- (ii) .Households who own a plot of land but cannot afford to start construction of a housing unit of up to 100 m². The grant is for purchase of building materials to start construction.
In Budget 2019/20, Government has extended the Building Materials Grant Scheme and the Roof Slab Grant Scheme to occupiers of EDC houses containing asbestos panels who are going forward with the construction houses. Thus, promoting the removal of asbestos and encouraging self-help construction.
Application is made in prescribed form at the NHDC Ltd.
EX-CHA
Sale of State Land to owners of Ex-CHA houses
There are 19442 owners of ex-CHA houses across the island. In order to empower these families to take full responsibility of their assets, Government introduced the "Right to Buy" policy in 2007 to enable the sale of State Land on which stood the CHA houses, against payment of a nominal amount of Rs 2000 to Government.
Application is made in prescribed form at the Housing Management Unit (HMU) of the Ministry of Housing and Land Use Planning.
Assistance to owners of ex-CHA housing unit who are facing difficulties in acquiring their plot of land
In 2012, it was found that a number of vulnerable families, particularly lone mothers, could not benefit from this policy due to financial difficulties. Such vulnerable lessees of ex-CHA Housing Estates are assessed on a case to case basis and if found eligible, they are granted the land free of charge through a waiving of the purchase price of Rs 2000 and registration fees. Also, fees for the Notary and for the survey of the plot of land are met by Government.
Application for financial assistance is done at the Housing Management Unit (HMU) of the Ministry of Housing and Land Use Planning.
Rehabilitation of existing utilities infrastructures on NHDC housing estates
With the aim of improving the living conditions of the inhabitants of exisiting NHDC housing estates particularly those in high rise apartments, the Government has come forward with a rehabilitation programme relating to waterproofing, water reticulation wastewater disposal, and repairs to cracks and structural remedial works. Most of these works are complex rehabilitation works which cannot be undertaken by the residents or the syndic alone.
List of rehabilitation projects being implemented by the NHDC:
Type of Rehabilitation works
| Sites
| No. of Housing Units
|
Rehabilitation of Existing Wastewater Network and Ancillary Works on NHDC Housing Estates on 10 Sites
| Rose Belle (residence Mon Rose, Residence Mon Rose II & Residence Le Roseraie)
| 250
|
Bambous (Residence Bambous I, Residence Bambous II, Residence Bamboula & Residence Geoffroy)
| 506
|
St Pierre (Residence Vignol)
| 72
|
Vieux Grand Port (Residence La Belon)
| 56
|
Highlands (Residence Belle Source)
| 84
|
Nouvelle France (Residence Nouvelle France)
| 92
|
Tyack (Residence Tyack)
| 68
|
Riambel (Residence Les Filaos)
| 76
|
Dagotiere (residence Daguets & Residence L’Assurance)
| 155
|
Notre Dame (Residence Baillache)
| 60
|
Sub Total
| 1,419
|
Roof waterproofing works in existing blocks of apartments
| Beau Vallon Residence Beau Vallon)
| 216
|
Atlee (Residence Les Jasmins)
| 80
|
Camp Levieux (Residence Begonia, Residence Chrysantheme, Residence Dalia, Residence Eglantine & Residence Flamboyant)
| 992
|
La Tour Koenig (Residence Bengali, Residence Colibri, Residence Dodo, Residence Epervier, Residence Flamant, Residence Grive, Residence Hirondelle & Residence Ibis)
| 1008
|
Sub Total
| 2,296
|
Total
| 3,715
|
Syndics
The main functions of the syndic on a NHDC Housing Estate areto ensure security and maintenance of communal areas like lifts, staircase, corridors, green spaces and other common spaces within the housing estate. Other services include replacement of broken lights, ensuring clean garbage collection and effective regular cleaning.
Families have been encouraged to set up syndics for the upkeep and maintenance of their common areas. The Government contributes a monthly amount of Rs. 200 per family in respect of 45 syndics.
