Former Iraqi Lawmaker Warns Housing Land Program Needs Services, New Cities

BAGHDAD, Iraq — A former member of Iraq's Parliament Services Commission says the government's program to distribute residential land to families will only succeed if three basic conditions are met. Manar Abdulmuhlis warned that without providing essential services, establishing new cities, and creating fair distribution mechanisms, the project risks repeating the problem of "sleeping lands" that have remained idle for decades due to infrastructure shortfalls. Iraq has faced a severe housing shortage for the past 20 years, driven by rapid population growth and insufficient home construction. The crisis has fueled widespread squatting and occupation of public land, particularly in Baghdad and other major cities. Residential plot sizes in urban centers have shrunk dramatically, falling from the traditional 200 to 600 square meters to as small as 30 to 50 square meters in some areas. Abdulmuhlis said the government's land distribution initiative cannot achieve its objectives without first addressing these structural problems. No additional details about a timeline or implementation plan were immediately available.