Vacant Apartments Surge in Northern Morocco as Expats Buy Second Homes

With this rate, Tanger-Tétouan-Al Hoceima is the second region in Morocco in terms of the number of vacant apartments, after Casablanca-Settat. The increase in the number of vacant apartments in the northern region is notably due to the purchase of these housing units by many Moroccans residing abroad (MREs) who only occupy them during their stay in the kingdom.

The phenomenon is striking in Tangier where vacant apartments account for nearly 18% of the total residential apartments in the city. The increase in the number of vacant apartments prevents low-income households from accessing decent housing. The government launched a housing assistance program for first-time buyers in March 2023.

This year, this program provides direct financial assistance of 100,000 dirhams for a home under 300,000 dirhams, and 70,000 dirhams for a home valued between 300,000 and 700,000 dirhams. The new direct housing assistance program has been successful with Moroccans residing in the kingdom and MREs.