Proposal to ensure affordable housing under review

If implemented, the law would ensure that there are enough affordable housing options for residents with lower income but would also help reduce traffic in the city, resulting from long commutes. Dubai has turned its attention to ensure there is enough affordable housing for its residents and according to a senior official, a proposal to look into this is currently under review. If made law, the proposal will not only provide more economic stability, but also reduce traffic jams, said Abdullah Rafia, acting director-general for engineering and planning, Dubai Municipality. The proposal to develop a law that will balance out luxury and affordable housing — while reducing traffic congestion — is part of the overall strategy of “building a sustainable city”, Rafia told Gulf News. “Laws take some time to mature. There is a lot of discussion about the law itself. It’s more about building a sustainable city, signalling affordable housing, but not necessarily to limit luxury housing." Placing enough mixed-income units on the market is “one of the suggestions for the major developers, to provide for at least some of the people who’ll be operating the business or the [property] development itself.” Rafia stressed the mechanism to implement the law would be “more complicated and comprehensive” than simply restricting the amount of luxury projects or forcing a minimum number of mid-market projects onto the market.