Problems of Housing in Kuwait

Abstract

Rapidly rising housing costs in Kuwait have prompted the government to provide housing alternatives for eligible families. However, the government and the citizens it serves are faced with several problems. The available land suitable for public housing development is decreasing, while families insist on receiving detached houses. The present housing problem is not able to meet the increasing demand on housing as there is a waiting list of 32,000 families while the population of Kuwaitis does not exceed 700,000. The present waiting period is 11 years. The current housing policy is a burden on the government, especially due to the increasing housing costs. Meanwhile, families are dissatisfied with the quality of houses they receive. This is exhibited in the many changes families make on the houses just after receiving them. These problems of land shortages, the long waiting period, housing costs, and housing quality are discussed in this paper. The causes and the possible solutions are suggested.