The Housing Ministry has denied claims by the main opposition party, MDP, that this government has decided to give flats to 577 people outside the list announced during former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih's administration.

In a press conference held by MDP yesterday, the party's Deputy Chairperson Ibrahim Waheed (Iburey) alleged that although Housing Minister Muthalib said they checked if people on the previous government's list met the criteria, they had reviewed information for 577 additional people and decided to give them flats.

In response, the Housing Ministry issued a statement today saying that the list announced on February 27, 2025, was released after reviewing and verifying the information in the forms of those determined to receive flats in the list published in the Government Gazette on November 15, 2023, following the Anti-Corruption Commission's investigation and advice.

The ministry said the list includes those who applied for three-bedroom flats and scored 76 points or more, those with 75 points who were to go for a draw, and those who applied for two-bedroom flats and scored 73 points or more, as stated in the list announced on November 15, 2023.

"No forms of any other parties were checked or reviewed at this stage. And no new criteria have been set for giving flats. This has been done according to the officially announced and published criteria and the guidelines set by the previous government's Gedhoruverin Committee for evaluating forms," the Housing Ministry said.

The Housing Ministry further stated that no flat allocated to any recipient has been reassigned to anyone else so far, and no flat will be reassigned to another party until complaints from the recipients are reviewed and decided upon.

According to the list released by this government on February 27, 2025, after reviewing the flat list released by the MDP government, out of 4,939 people on the previous government's list, only 1,820 people meet the criteria. This includes 1,423 people eligible for three-bedroom flats and 397 for two-bedroom flats.

The Housing Ministry has now opened the opportunity for those who did not meet the criteria to submit complaints.