Morocco Set to Unveil New Housing Aid Decree in Coming Days

The Minister of National Land Use Planning, Urban Planning, Housing and City Policy, Fatima Zahra Mansouri, had submitted this draft decree two months ago, which is now in the finalization phase, according to sources at Hespress, specifying that the final version of the document will soon be presented to the Council of Government.

For the moment, the project is progressing normally and the stakeholders are working in synergy to complete its preparation, indicate the same sources, noting however that the summer period chosen to submit this draft decree "has contributed to slowing down its examination by the parties concerned".

Other sources, however, fear a delay in the approval of this decree, despite the government’s commitment to grant direct housing aid before the end of this year. This delay would be due to "the weakness of the financial resources allocated to the project, particularly given the significant amounts needed for social protection initiatives," they estimate.

The government was granting tax exemptions to property owners and developers to encourage them to participate in housing programs, and then decided in June 2022 to directly support first-time buyers, explained Fouzi Lekjaa, the Minister in charge of the Budget, in June. This housing aid ended in 2022, but the government has decided to renew it this year given its economic and social impact.