Sharjah approves Dh373m in housing support

Housing loans and grants worth Dh373 million ($101.5 million) have been approved for hundreds of Emiratis in Sharjah.

The housing support for 550 citizens was issued yesterday, in line with directives from Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Ruler of Sharjah.

It was the third round of housing support approved by the Sharjah Executive Council this year.

The funds will be distributed across the emirate and will be used for construction, home extensions, maintenance and the securing of government housing, state news agency Wam reported.

Since the emirate’s Housing Department was established, the total support extended to citizens stands at about Dh10.4 billion, with more than 12,100 benefiting from the initiative.

Sheikh Dr Sultan this year increased the number of Emiratis eligible for the programme by 50 per cent.

The move, announced in June, means an 500 more families have the opportunity to apply for housing assistance after the annual limit was raised from 1,000 to 1,500.

The change followed the results of Sharjah’s 2022 census, which reported a 22 per cent increase in the emirate’s population to 1.8 million.

The housing loans and grants in Sharjah come after Abu Dhabi last month approved housing benefits for about 5,700 Emiratis.

Mohamed Al Shorafa, chairman of the board of directors of Abu Dhabi Housing Authority, said at the time that housing support met the needs of citizens “in a way that secures a decent life alongside family and social stability”.

It brought the total value of packages disbursed in the capital to Dh13.44 billion, benefiting 9,292 Emiratis.