Affordable housing scheme to retain age requirement at 18 for family applicants

The SAR government has decided to retain entry age policies concerning family applications for affordable houses at a minimum of 18 years old.
This morning, the First Standing Committee had a discussion regarding the latest affordable housing bill together with government representatives, including the Secretary for Transport and Public Works, Raimundo Arrais do Rosário.
The chairman of the committee, lawmaker Ho Ion Sang, reported to the media that the government has accepted the lawmakers’ suggestion to keep the entry age at 18 years for family applicants.
The minimum age for individual applicants is also reduced from the previously proposed 25 years of age down to 23 years.
The local government adjusted the age policies after considering that affordable housing is in high demand and not every university graduate has the need to buy a house immediately after finishing school.
Some of the lawmakers still think that the minimum age for individual applications should also go down to 18 years of age.
The local government said that it would consider the proposal.
Secretary Rosário said that in April or May this year, the local government will start a public tender procedure for the foundation work of three land plots for affordable houses on New Urban Zone A.
The land plots are related to the most recent affordable housing application. The application will end on April 27, which is already one month later than the original application period.
Rosário is aware that the society has demands for extending the application period and the local government is still reviewing it.
After the committee discussion, lawmaker Sulu Sou expressed his disappointment at the latest draft of the bill.
He was particularly disappointed with the part that said that young people between 18 and 23 years old are not qualified to apply for affordable houses as individual applicants in spite of meeting all other requirements. JZ