Moroccan Expats’ Vacant Properties Fuel Housing Crisis in Northern Cities

The Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima region is facing a significant problem of empty apartments, with approximately 334,000 unoccupied dwellings recorded, while the demand for housing, especially for low-income households, remains high. This situation places the region in second place nationally for the number of vacant properties, just behind Casablanca-Settat, representing 15.6% of the total unoccupied apartments in Morocco, according to official data.

In the city of Tangier, the phenomenon is particularly pronounced, with empty apartments constituting nearly 18% of the total residential stock. A large portion of these dwellings reportedly belongs to Moroccans residing abroad (MREs), who only use them sporadically, mainly during their stays in the Kingdom. This low occupancy has direct repercussions on access to housing for local low-income populations, who struggle to find decent accommodations.

Faced with this issue, authorities, supported by auxiliary forces, conducted a campaign last February. This operation aimed to free up abandoned apartments that had been occupied by some illegal migrants from sub-Saharan Africa. These illegal occupations were considered a threat to the security of local residents. Moreover, in March 2023, the government had initiated an assistance program for first-time buyers to facilitate access to property ownership.

However, these various measures have not yet managed to sustainably curb the phenomenon of vacant housing. Consequently, calls are multiplying for more incisive government intervention. There are notably demands for a thorough examination of the ownership of these numerous apartments, particularly those in the economic sector that have benefited from state subsidies.