Housing allowances should be paid to citizens who do not satisfy the criteria for owning a house set by the Ministry of Housing, a senior National Society for Human Rights (NSHR) official has said. Dr. Saleh Al-Kathlan, Deputy Chairman of the NSHR, was quoted by Al-Watan Arabic daily as saying that the housing projects implemented by the ministry target needy citizens who satisfy its conditions but that there are others who do not meet these conditions and cannot afford to have their own houses. Housing is a basic human right and one of the basic requirements for an honorable life, Dr. Al-Kathlan added. “A large number of citizens cannot afford to buy a home due to the increase in real estate prices,” the official said. The NSHR pays special attention to this right and it has previously held a forum in which many organizations participated and the recommendations were sent to King Abdullah, Dr. Kathlan pointed out. A source inside the committee of management and human resources at the Shoura Council told Al-Watan that the committee has not reconsidered the proposal of paying officials three salaries as a housing allowance. Meanwhile, Abdul Wahab Aal Mijthil, Shoura Council member, said that the Council puts the citizen's interest before anything else. He told Al-Watan that the recommendation of giving three salaries as a housing allowance has received much media attention and an urgent decision needs to be taken on the issue.
