The direct housing assistance program has attracted sustained interest, resulting in strong demand since its inception. However, this demand faces several obstacles, notably the reduction of activity in the construction sector.
Producing housing that meets the program criteria, particularly those whose price is equal to or less than 300,000 dirhams, is complex in the current economic context, especially in urban areas where the cost of land is exorbitant. To better understand this question, Hespress FR contacted a real estate developer, who took part in the game in order to highlight the major challenges that the sector is currently facing.
The professional first indicated that a notable slowdown in activity is perceptible through several significant indicators in the building sector. These indicators are manifested in particular through the revenues of the National Land Conservation Agency, which reflect the number of new titles issued and the transactions carried out. A drop of at least 50%, sometimes more depending on the region, is observed, thus constituting a first alarming indicator, he reported.
The second revealing indicator, according to our speaker, lies in the revenues of municipalities from building authorization taxes, as well as in the revenues of urban agencies for processing files and issuing building permits. These figures clearly indicate a substantial slowdown in activity, despite the implementation of the new direct housing assistance program.
“ This program aims to provide aid for housing whose price is less than 300,000 dirhams, as well as for housing whose price is between 300,000 and 700,000 dirhams. However, despite this initiative, the sector seems to show a certain reluctance. Current economic conditions make it difficult to produce housing worth 300,000 dirhams. This difficulty arises in part from the rise in prices of construction materials and a significant increase in the cost of land.“, he emphasized.
The professional also focused on the figures published by the ministry which reveal that 70% or even 75% of the requests recorded on the dedicated platform concern this category of affordable housing, and produce this type of housing in such a short time. is unrealistic.
And to specify: “ In comparison with the 250,000 dirham housing program launched in 2010, which aroused immediate enthusiasm, we see a similar lack of enthusiasm for the current program. This drop in activity is therefore explained by the complexity and challenges encountered in the implementation of this system.“.
In addition, continues the promoter, the administration does not seem to be favorable to investment and is excessively rigorous in the application of the systems in place. Delays and dysfunctions in the management of building authorizations within urban agencies have been observed, which goes against the policy advocated by the ministry.
“ These obstacles hinder the smooth running of activities, without our being able to predict their duration. The recent press conference held by the Order of Architects of Casablanca highlighted these various issues, which affect not only Casablanca, but the entire national territory.“, he recalls, noting that it is imperative to simplify procedures to truly facilitate investment.
