Morocco: They have been waiting for their homes since 2009, and apartments are now being seized
At Essaouira, an affordable and social housing project launched in 2009 for around 400 families is facing a new development. Several apartments from its first phase have just been subject to a court-ordered seizure over a debt exceeding 25 million dirhams.
The seizure was initiated in favor of a banking institution, according to the local section of the Justice and Development Party (PJD). The party says that the housing units concerned belong to the “Nessma” project, which has been stalled for more than fifteen years.
On Bladi.net : Affordable Housing Scandal in Essaouira Leaves Moroccan Buyers Empty-Handed
Designed on a plot of approximately 8,500 m², the program was intended to enable low-income households to access housing. However, the accumulated delays have prolonged the beneficiaries’ wait.
A debt of more than 25 million dirhams
In a statement published on Wednesday, the PJD said that the seizure was creating new uncertainty for the families concerned. It called on the governor of Essaouira Province to intervene in order to protect their rights and find a solution that would allow the project to be completed.
The party also questions the decision to seize apartments from the first phase rather than the undeveloped land intended for the program’s second phase.
On Bladi.net : Morocco MREs Trapped in Housing Scandal Since 2009
For the beneficiaries of the “Nessma” project, this new procedure adds to more than fifteen years of waiting for a program that was originally supposed to enable them to access social housing.
