2 cooperation protocols signed between Cairo, Urban Communities Authority

CAIRO – 9 July 2018: Prime Minister and former Minister of Housing, Utilities and Urban Communities, n Mostafa Madbouly, witnessed Monday the signing ceremony of two cooperation protocols between Cairo governorate and the new Urban Communities Authority.

The protocols were signed by Cairo Governor Atef Abdel Hamid and Deputy Chairman of the NUCA Mazen Hassan, in the presence of Deputy Housing Minister Assemel-Gazzar and other officials to develop El-Mawardi area, Al-Sayeda Zeinab.

Gazzar said that the two parties agreed on developing the unsafe El-Mawardi area, Al-Sayeda Zeinab, which stretches over an area of 3.35 feddans, referring that the protocol comes within the framework of the development project of Tal Al-Aqareb area in Al-Sayeda Zeinab.

Gazzar referred that Cairo governorate’s vision aims to restore the city's vital role as Egypt’s capital, and focuses on evacuating some areas in Cairo to be able to develop and use these areas in cultural and urban activities.

He further explained that the cooperation agreement between Cairo governorate and the new Urban Communities Authority aims to transfer the ownership of a 5.5-feddan area in Maspero Triangle to the authority to build housing units with the necessary services for occupants who want to stay in the area after its development.

He added that the authority should conduct, according to the agreement, an economical study for the comprehensive development of an area, in cooperation with the Development Fund for Slums, to cover the costs of compensations, constructions and administrative expenses.

In the same context, Khaled Siddiq, executive director of the Development Fund for Slums, remarked that the new Urban Communities Authority takes the responsibility of planning and preparing executive drawings to build housing units on certain areas.

The social housing sector in Egypt has witnessed a boom of unprecedented development, especially in slum areas, some of which have been torn down and rebuilt as part of the government’s plan to develop informal settlements in Egypt.

Amongthe slums that have been under development are the Tal Al Aqareb area in SayedaZeinab, the Ahlina slums in Al Salam 1, Al Mahrousa 1, Al Salam slums, Manshiyet Nasser, El Asmarat District in Mokattam, and Maspero Triangle.

The Ministry of Housing estimates that 40 percent of the population of Cairo lives in informal settlements, while the Informal Settlements Development Fund (ISDF), now part of the new Ministry for Urban Development, estimates that 75 percent of urban areas throughout Egypt isunplanned and 1 percent isunsafe.

Hence, President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi has sought to tackle housing problems in Egypt, and a plan was set to develop many unsafe areas in Cairo, which has the majority of Egypt’s slums, and to re-house residents of Egypt’s most dangerous slums. The government divided the slums into two categories. The first is the dangerous slums;thegovernment pledged to eliminate dangerous slums by the end of2018.

In May 2016, President Sisi promised to move all those living in slums to new flats over three years as part of an ambitious project expected to cost about LE 14 billion ($790 million).

In the same context, the Tahya Misr (Long Live Egypt) Fund, launched by Sisi in 2014, has been working on a three-phase strategy to eliminate Egypt’s shantytowns and re-house slum residents, including those living in Doueyka, Establ Antar and Ezbet Khair Allah. The project includes 15,000 housing units to re-house 60,000 slum residents. The first two phases of Tahya Misr are comprised of 12,000 flats. The third phase opened in 2017 and is comprised of 20,000 flats.

Tal Al Aqareb area in Sayeda Zeinab

The residents of Tal Al Aqareb were evacuated in 2016, after several unsafe buildings had been demolished and were transferred temporarily to a new housing area until the development of Tal Al Aqarebis completed.

Khalil Shaath, head of Cairo governorate's informal-area-upgrading unit, said that, in coordination with the Ministry of Housing, Utilities and Urban Development, 815 housing units, which would house 3,500 people, have been built at Tal Al Aqareb, along with 324 shops.

He added that 85 percent of the project was implemented.

Al Mahrousa 1 and 2 projects

In the same context, Shaath remarked that the government has completed the construction of 90 percent of Al Mahrousa 1 and 2 projects, which include 4,900 housing units. Al Mahrousa 1 is comprised of 3,175 units, while Al Mahrousa 2 boasts 1,594 units.

Al Asmarat 3 project

At the beginning of 2017, the third district of the housing project in Al Asmarat,Moqattam, was built, comprising7,440 housing units. The project is constructed by TahyaMisr Fund, in collaboration with the Armed Forces Engineering Authority.

Together to develop slums in Al Salam 2 project

The project includes 3,312 housing units, which are built in collaboration between the Slum Development Fund and Together to develop slums.

Maspero Triangle project

Major General Mohammed Ayman Abdel Tawab, deputy governor of Cairo, said the government has been demolishing houses and shops in the Maspero Triangle in attempts to redevelop and modernize the three streets of the Bulaq Abul Ela district.