Morocco's Towns Without Shanties project moves forward, but not without problems

2006-12-20

In 2004, Morocco began removing makeshift homes on the outskirts of its cities. The Towns Without Shanties project has shown impressive results -- particularly in the city of Meknes. But problems persist, such as a rapid proliferation of new shanty towns and a lack of power of the authorities to manage this large-scale project.

By Sarah Touahri for Magharebia in Rabat -- 20/12/06

[Sarah Touahri] Shanty town dwellers of Douar El Kora in Rabat wait for their chance to benefit from a decent home as part of the towns without shanties programme.

Morocco's Towns Without Shanties programme is making progress, but not without problems. Social housing Director Mohamed Najib Halimi says that the rate at which shacks are being torn down does not match the rate at which new homes are being built. Some people reject the principle of moving and do not want to pay. Others want their fees reduced. There are clear differences between the regions in terms of support and interest.

The programme, which began in 2004, is taking place in 82 towns where 277,000 families will benefit. According to the ministry of housing, the cost is 20.4 billion dirhams.

The speed with which shacks are being torn down has risen from 5,000 per year in 2004 to 25,000 currently. According to Halimi, the goal is the demolition of 50,000 shacks each year. "This cannot take place without improved checks and the strict application of sanctions against all those infringing the law. Some towns, such as Souira, Fquih Ben Saleh, Fnidek and Béni Mellal, have managed to reach their set targets. A good number of other towns need to step up their pace to be ready by the expected deadline," he said.

Meknès is on course to be declared Morocco's "first town without shanties" in 2007. While most of the other built-up areas have reaffirmed their commitment to do the same by 2008, Casablanca's date has been pushed back to 2012, architect Kamal Idrissi said.

Casablanca is a good illustration of the current rate of progress -- 64,000 families live in shanty towns, but so far only 5,900 units have been built, 4,000 shacks have been demolished, and 11,300 homes are in progress.

"How do you explain that, next to the demolished shacks, new shanty towns are springing up instantly from the void, like mushrooms?" Idrissi says. Some shanty towns, once removed, quickly spring up elsewhere, he said. Sometimes this happens within the same authority, and often with claimants setting themselves up afresh as seeking decent housing.

Halimi explains that the completed re-housing units have been powerless to reduce the number of families living in shanty towns. The annual rate of increase in the number of families living in shanty towns has fallen to 2.1% in 2004, down from 4.6% in 1994. But the number of shanty town families is increasing. In 1982, 158,000 families were involved. In 1994, this figure rose to 230,000.

According to Morocco's housing ministry, the programme relies essentially on housing solidarity fund resources. This fund’s expenditure is divided between the various components of the shanty town removal programme and other social programmes such as rural centre development.

Halimi has called for those involved at the regional and local level to support the programme and introduce monitoring measures. The efforts must first be directed towards those towns under great pressure such as Casablanca and the Rabat-Salé-Zemmour-Zaër region.

Civil engineer Mohamed Tehoura says the measures adopted under the programme are laudable. But he worries about potential future problems "such as juvenile delinquency among those growing up in these districts, similar to what has happened in France".