THE housing issue in Kuwait has become a chronic crisis due to improvised solutions. Those responsible for devising housing strategies are either unconvinced by their plans or appear to be serving the interests of powerful real estate magnates who profit from the rising prices of plots. This situation continues to prolong the suffering of citizens who need housing. Kuwait was a pioneer in adopting the housing welfare system, but it has since fallen behind its regional counterparts, especially other Gulf nations and some Arab countries that have developed this system with a forward-thinking vision and thus managed to solve their housing problems within just a few years.

Over the past three decades, the crisis in Kuwait has become more complicated due to the involvement of several factors including the greed of real estate owners, the political interference of National Assembly members, their mismanagement of the housing file, poor selection of those responsible for this file, constant changes in the ministerial position, prolonged bureaucratic processes for providing land, and ongoing disputes between the Ministry of State for Housing Affairs, Kuwait Municipality, the Ministry of Oil, and the Ministry of Finance. In addition, unreasonable demands from citizens who seek huge houses that far exceed their actual needs have only deepened the crisis. Therefore, while realistic solutions have been successfully implemented in many countries, they have been notably absent in Kuwait, which allowed the crisis to persist If there is a real desire to resolve this issue, the solution can be achieved within just a few years, as seen in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the UAE, Qatar, Morocco, and Egypt. In these countries, the government provides land and necessary services, and sets building models that both real estate developers and citizens in each region must adhere to. Housing banks offer loan facilities and cover half of the interest. Financial institutions provide loans under long-term plans, with the government bearing half of the loan interest. This task should be entrusted to the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of State for Housing Affairs, Kuwait Municipality, and the Kuwait Credit Bank. Commercial banks can also play a role in this solution and will undoubtedly embrace it, as it promises substantial long-term profits. Families should cooperate in repaying the loan, especially since the current housing care system allocates the house in the names of both the husband and wife. According to scientific reports, solving the problem would require approximately KD 20 billion.

However, if the situation remains unchanged, there will not be enough space for housing, as every citizen seeks to build large, palace-like homes. Countries like Saudi Arabia have implemented systems that focus on building comfortable apartments for families and developing villa compounds. All countries focus on providing land and necessary services, and facilitating loans for citizens who must build within a specific time frame, as the plot would be reclaimed otherwise. These countries also allocate land to real estate developers and require them to build specific models. The government then provides the completed houses to citizens, who repay the cost in installments over 30 to 40 years, with the state covering the loan’s interest. These housing areas are selfsufficient in all services. This efficient system has yet to be implemented in Kuwait because the housing loans provided to citizens are often insufficient to build the homes they desire. Many citizens seek to build large palaces or multiple rental fl oors, instead of homes for just their personal use. As a result, we see “jungles of concrete” rather than organized, civilized areas. Service issues have also risen because land designated for one thousand families is now overcrowded with ten thousand. The solution to the housing crisis is simple, provided the decision-makers are convinced by these solutions. However, if they are more interested in benefiting from their position or serving the infl uential, the crisis will continue as it is.