Members of parliament and economic experts confirmed that the Million Plot Initiative represents a wide-ranging residential, economic, and urban project, which will contribute to addressing the housing crisis and reducing slum areas, in addition to providing thousands of job opportunities and revitalizing multiple economic sectors. They emphasized the need for a set of requirements to ensure the initiative's success and achieve its goals.
Member of the parliamentary finance committee Nasser Turki stated to the Iraqi News Agency that "the Million Plot Initiative is very important because it touches on people's rights and their urgent need for decent housing suitable for the Iraqi citizen."
He added that "Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaydi, when he saw the urgent need among citizens, especially those deprived of housing, insisted on completing this work, which has the support of the Iraqi parliament and the nation's people."
He continued, "The Prime Minister pointed out that the government is working to complete the Million Residential Plot Initiative, after which a suitable alternative can be provided for those living in slums, which represents a significant humanitarian dimension."
Completion of the first batch
For his part, the spokesman for the Ministry of Construction, Housing, and Public Municipalities, Nabil Al-Saffar, told the Iraqi News Agency (WAA) that "the continuous and joint work between the joint committees in the National Initiative contributed to preparing the first batch of plots in some provinces, which will have infrastructure services connected to them, in preparation for distribution to deserving families who do not own housing or land."
He added that "this is the main criterion for accepting applications, by matching the applicants’ data with the database prepared by the Real Estate Registration Department to know whether the applicant owns a piece of land or a housing unit."
He indicated that "the work will be sequential and continuous, as any province that completes the procedures for land allocation through the subsidiary committees formed there, which include municipal, agricultural, urban planning, real estate departments, and state property representatives, will present the lands to the special committee for land designation chaired by the Supreme Coordinating Committee between the provinces."
He explained that the Ministry of Construction participates in the committee through the General Directorate of Municipalities and the Authority for the Implementation of New Residential Cities, noting that "conflicts have been resolved and the basic and sectoral designs have been prepared for it."
Al-Saffar mentioned that "the total time period for the National Initiative, as announced by the Prime Minister, is three years, during which free serviced plots will be delivered to deserving citizens."
Economic and urban project
Economist Ahmad Abd Rabbo clarified to the Iraqi News Agency (WAA) that "the Million Plot Initiative should not be viewed merely as a land distribution initiative, but as a broad economic and urban project that can stimulate a long chain of productive and service activities."
He explained that "preparation of the lands and their service with infrastructure, followed by the beneficiaries moving to the construction stage, will create significant demand for cement, bricks, iron, pipes, wires, doors, windows, furniture, sanitary, and electrical appliances, in addition to activating the work of contractors, engineers, workers, craftsmen, transport, and construction-related services."
He pointed out that "this importance gains greater momentum with the announcement of the preparation of 216,000 plots in six provinces as part of the initiative, in preparation for development and servicing work."
Thousands of job opportunities
Abd Rabbo continued that "the economic impact does not stop at the value of the land but extends to creating a comprehensive economic cycle that can provide thousands of direct and indirect job opportunities, especially if the demand generated by the project is directed towards local industry, rather than relying heavily on imported materials."
He added that "involving the private sector and real estate developers in executing the infrastructure can alleviate the burden on the budget and enhance investment activity."
Reducing property prices
He explained that "injecting hundreds of thousands of serviced housing plots into the market can exert downward pressure on prices, provided that the lands are actually transformed into housing units, and speculation and resale of lands are prohibited."
He indicated that "the significant increase in housing supply, if accompanied by facilitated financing and rising construction rates, will gradually reduce the gap between supply and demand, thus limiting the ability of speculators to raise land and property prices."
Alleviating pressure on city centers
He pointed out that "the model of serviced free land can be more effective than merely distributing land, as providing water, electricity, roads, sewage, and service institutions makes moving to new areas more feasible."
He affirmed that "the success of this aspect requires comprehensive urban planning; the goal is not only to relocate populations from the city center to its outskirts but to create new integrated residential centers that include schools, health centers, markets, transport facilities, and job opportunities."
New cities according to development needs
Economist Safwan Qusay explained to the Iraqi News Agency (WAA) that "it is clear that the Al-Zaydi government is serious about fulfilling the constitutional requirements, so that every person and every Iraqi family owns a plot of land that provides essential life supplies such as water, electricity, schools, and health centers."
He added that "establishing residential clusters across Iraq requires studying the available resources to achieve income for the residents of those areas," confirming that "these areas need care, as they should be established according to the model of smart cities that rely on solar energy and have potable water."
The role of banks and real estate developers
He noted that "Iraqi banks should contribute to financing the real estate developer with funds at reduced costs, for the purpose of enabling the developer to construct these residential clusters, with 20 percent of the housing units in those serviced areas allocated for low-income or no-income families."
He pointed out that "the construction operations should be at different levels, vertically and horizontally, according to the needs of the residents of those areas."
Criteria for entitlement
He mentioned that "distribution of these lands will be to those who do not own any property, neither he nor his family members, and if the number does not reach one million plots, it will include those who have not previously received a plot of land from the state."
He stressed the necessity that "these lands be allocated within specified areas in each province, and that they be close to transport sites and sources of income, in order to reduce slum areas and address the issue of encroachments, as well as to relocate part of the populations from city centers and provinces to these new cities that can accommodate a life worthy of Iraqis."