Algiers re-housing plan sparks protests

Angry residents who felt neglected by a government re-housing program took to the streets in violent demonstrations.

By Lyes Aflou for Magharebia in Algiers – 29/12/10

Efforts to re-house people living in Algiers' working-class suburbs resumed on Sunday (December 26th) following heated clashes between law-enforcement officers and families.

"We've been waiting to be re-housed since independence, and we still haven't got anything other than promises from officials that are taking an age to be honored," Said told Magharebia.

Last spring, city authorities vowed to move 10,000 families into safer homes by the end of the year and eliminate "insecure housing" from shanty towns surrounding the capital city.

For some angry residents, the pace has been too slow. Last week-end, they decided to express their discontent.

Clashes broke out Saturday between residents and security officials in the eastern suburbs of Algiers, including Les Palmiers and Baraki. Rioters attacked law-enforcement officers with stones and blocked busy roads with barricades.

Boualem, a young demonstrator aged 25, said he could not understand how the survey committee forgot his "family of seven living in an old house that has been at risk of ruin for years" while "other people, who bought shanty towns more recently just so that they could be among the high-priority group, were chosen".

Mohamed Ismail, the official in charge of housing in Algiers Province, stated that a re-housing program was launched for some "1,600 families living in shanty towns and temporary housing that were built in the capital after the devastating earthquake of May 2003".

"The turn of those who deserve to be re-housed will come, because the housing allocation committee is processing cases in less than 10 days and all applicants who provide evidence of their situation will receive new homes, unless their applications are incomplete," Ismail said.

Ismail claimed on Monday that 84,000 homes are being built in Algiers Province, of which 48,000 units will be rented social housing and 18,000 units will be part-owned homes.

"It's just a matter of time, all candidates for new homes in Algiers Province will be re-housed," he said in an effort to allay fears.

The way in which social housing is allocated regularly leads to demonstrations in Algeria, as construction programs have not kept pace with population growth. Violent riots broke out earlier in the year in some working-class districts of Algiers, such as Diar Echems and Diar El Kef in the hills overlooking the city.

According to the Housing Ministry, there are 553,000 insecure homes in Algeria. The government plans to re-house all families living in shanty towns and houses in the south of the country built with toub (bricks made of clay and straw).

The 2010-2014 development program targets building a million homes altogether, with 70,000 homes built in 2010 to re-house families living in insecure housing.

Source: Magharebia.com.
Link: http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2010/12/29/feature-02.