Housing Challenges in Iraq
Hurricane Katrina destroyed about 275,000 houses in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. Now, more than three years later, the area is still trying to rebuild and revitalize. While those numbers are staggering, they also put into perspective the severity of housing units currently needed in Iraq: more than 2 million.
“[Multi-National Division - Center] is aware that there is a major housing issue, and we are doing our part to address that issue. We are working with different organizations and groups such as the [government of Iraq], private investors and [non-government organizations],” said Lt. Col. Barry Ross, 445th Civil Affairs Battalion economics officer. “We are in the process of assembling all of the right people to come up with a plan to alleviate this issue.”
Coalition forces invasion of Iraq in 2003, along with an escalation of violence from al-Qaida, led to the destruction or damage of large portions of housing sectors. The Baghdad area was particularly hard hit. This caused a dramatic increase to an already existent need for housing, exacerbating the strain on the country’s already fragile design and a construction industry that has been in disrepair for more than a decade due to restrictions of the previous regime.
According to June Reed, Office of Private Sector Development, Strategic Investment and Housing senior advisor, suggested programs should improve employment opportunities for construction worker trainees and create a larger pool of skilled workers.
“A huge problem right now, though, is funding. The provincial governments haven’t made any budget requests for housing because they were looking for the federal government to assist them,” Ross said. “What the [provincial reconstruction teams] need to work on is getting the provincial government to plan for their own solutions by coming up with their own budget.”
The shortage of housing, poor quality of existing structures and a remarkable decline in violence in the Baghdad area have also lead to real estate prices doubling. In addition, many properties are sold or leased as soon as they hit the market, thus making Iraq one of the biggest potential housing markets in the world.
“Last year, there was lots of real estate to sell and no buyers. Now, it’s the opposite,” said Abdullah Jasim of an al-Noor real estate agency in an article published by Reuters. “There is not enough for sale. If you put something up for sale, it’s immediately sold.”
According to Ross, the housing challenge in MND-C has many different variables, but steps are being taken to address it. The process is still in an exploratory stage, and many individuals are trying to pinpoint the issue and develop solutions.
DVIDS
By Staff Sgt. Amber Emery
Multi-National Division - Center
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