Iraq Plans 14 Housing Complexes and 16 New Residential Cities

Iraq’s Ministry of Construction, Housing and Municipalities said more than 7,000 housing units have been built across 14 residential complexes nationwide, while plans are advancing for 16 new housing cities as the government moves to address a severe national housing shortage. Among the largest projects are the Cevheri city in the Ebu Gureyb district west of Baghdad, which will include 30,000 housing units; the Verd city in the Nahravan area, designed for 120,000 units; and the Gazalani city in Nineveh, which will contain more than 28,000 homes. The ministry said it aims to accelerate completion of the projects through partnerships with the private sector. It also said it has adopted vertical construction, or multi-storey housing, as a solution to population growth and urban pressure. Officials say Iraq’s housing deficit has exceeded 2.5 million to 3 million units, with millions of people living in informal settlements that lack infrastructure. The government aims to reduce the housing shortage by 50% by 2030.