Sina-male' Flats to be rebuilt

Housing is always a trending and upcoming topic in the Maldives, where people are always moving to find a more sustainable way of living. With the smaller islands of the Maldives being heavily underdeveloped especially when it comes to both the education and the health sector, people are always being faced with the choice of whether to pay a hefty price and move to the capital City or just live with what the island has to offer.

But this decision does not leave people with more than one choice, as travel is always required, especially when it comes to getting proper medical treatment. Not only this, but those who opt for higher education or even want to find better job opportunities have little to no options in their islands, forcing them to move to the capital City of Male’.

With this, Maldives has seen the impact of an ever-growing population in the form of increased pollution in the capital City as well as increased rent prices in the Greater Male’ Area. Though many might believe that this is a recent problem that we are struggling to find a solution for, the congestion in Male’ City has been an issue for a long time, and the first housing flats that were constructed during the Presidency of Mumoon Abdul Gayoom (MAG) are now in need for demotion and reconstruction.

The Sinamale Flats building which was constructed over 30 years ago consisted of 128 apartments and was the first major housing project which was carried out in the Maldives. Though this housing project was a first step towards solving an ever-growing issue in Male', times have changed and the need for upgrading the flats can be seen and felt by anyone who drives by or lives in these flats. With this, on 24th May 2023, the Male’ City Council decided to demolish and rebuild the Sinamale flats, which is to be carried out in two different phases.

This project is to be carried out as a brand new one, which aims to see the construction of 1,500 apartment flats by the end of the project which will include apartments which come in two bedrooms, three bedrooms and four-bedrooms, with attached bathrooms to each bedroom. As there are people who are currently residing in the Sinamale flat building, the first phase of the project will heavily focus on the construction of 700 apartments which will house the current residents, and the second phase will see the construction of 800 apartments for new tenants. 

As this project is going to be a major one, which undoubtedly would need to be constructed in the shortest timeframe possible for the ease of the current residents, the Male’ City Council will be conducting the Sinamale flat reconstruction project based on the developer finance method. According to Dr Mohamed Shahid, the council’s Financing Manager, the council will be earning MVR 175 million from land sale for the project and an additional MVR 15 million in income from the lease of commercial spaces as well as parking slots.