Rabat– Minister of National Planning Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri, provided on Thursday, an update to the House of Representatives on the progress of the Direct Housing Support Program. As of November 5, the program has benefited 28,458 individuals, with 26% of the beneficiaries residing abroad.
During her presentation of the 2025 budget at the Ministry of the Interior, Mansouri reported that the total value of homes acquired through the program has reached MAD 11.4 billion ($1.06 billion), with the government contributing 2.3 billion dirhams ($211.6 million)—equating to 20% of the total amount.
The minister also highlighted the high demand for the program, noting that 111,745 applications had been submitted by November 5. Of these, 89% were deemed eligible for support. Women accounted for 41% of applicants, while 37% were under the age of 35, and expatriates made up 22% of applicants.
Looking ahead to 2025, Mansouri outlined key objectives for the ministry, including the completion of national land planning policies that align with regional development strategies.
She emphasized the role of Morocco’s urban network, which consists of 365 cities and urban centers, as a key driver of economic growth. The urbanization rate is expected to reach 65% by 2025, underscoring the importance of urban development in the country’s overall growth.
Mansouri also talked about the “National Strategy for Intermediate Cities,” a pioneering initiative aimed at positioning intermediate cities as critical hubs for economic development. The strategy seeks to enhance the role of these cities while implementing a governance framework to manage their growth. A multi-dimensional index has been developed to assess and prioritize 71 intermediate cities.
In her address, Mansouri further discussed the ministry’s efforts to expand urban planning coverage. Currently, 89.2% of municipalities are covered by at least one urban planning document, which corresponds to 1,341 out of 1,503 municipalities. The goal is to achieve 93% coverage by 2025.
On rural development, Mansouri announced that 2025 will see the second phase of the rural centers initiative, which will add 12 new rising rural centers. The project will update action plans and define the financial and technical structures for each center, following a participatory approach for approval. To date, 542 rising rural centers have been identified as part of the national program for rural development.
Mansouri also provided an update on efforts to address substandard housing. Between January and September 2024, 7,685 families saw improvements in their living conditions.
Ongoing projects are set to improve housing for over 69,000 more families.
There has been a significant increase in the rate of housing improvements. The number of families benefiting has risen from 6,200 annually between 2018 and 2021 to 16,300 families in the current government term—a 163% increase.
Mansouri concluded by sharing details of Al Omrane Group’s operational plan for 2025, which includes the construction of 41,781 housing units. Of these, 17,720 units will be developed directly by Al Omrane and 24,061 units in partnership with the private sector.
