Families sharing villas face eviction27 October 2008, 00:00:37 - (1261 hits) DUBAI: Many low-income families who share accommodations in villas face eviction from these homes as the municipality has started disconnecting electricity and water supplies. Dubai Municipality had given these families till Oct. 24 to vacate their premises but many stayed hoping the decision would not affect them.
Families, sometimes comprising two, three or even five children, share rooms in villas as they cannot afford to rent their own separate accommodation. These villas are considered health hazard because of being overcrowded.
As a result of the municipality decision many people will be forced to send their families back to their home countries.
“No more deadlines would be given to the residents of these villas as we have given them ample time to vacate,” said Omar Mohammed Abdul Rahman, head of the Building Inspection Section in the Buildings Department, adding that violators will face fines, which may go up to 50,000 dirhams.
Dismissing reports that close relatives would be allowed to stay in one villa, Abdul Rahman said that no cousins or other people will come under the definition of family. “A family means father, mother and children,” he said. Abdul Rahman said they had started the campaign against bachelors staying in family residential areas in 2005. “As part of that campaign we had issued warnings that many families staying in one residential unit after making alterations inside the building illegally would not be allowed. It is against the rules and regulations regarding building safety as well as the social and urban planning norms,” he said.
“Service amenities like water, electricity and sewage are provided according to the affection plan of the buildings. When the residential unit is used by more families against the plan it becomes difficult to manage resulting in the accumulation of waste, affecting public safety and environment,” said Abdul Rahman.
Arab News spoke to some of the families affected by the decision and all of them complained that they cannot find affordable accommodation anywhere. Kumar, a father of two young children living in Satwa area, said that his family will have to go back to India as he cannot afford to rent any place in Dubai or even neighboring Sharjah. “My wife works as a teacher in an Indian school earning 2,000 dirhams a month. I earn 4,000 dirhams a month as a clerk. My rent at the moment is 2,000 dirhams for this tiny room. I like it because we save money on transportation as both our jobs are at a walking distance. To rent a studio in Dubai now will cost at least 4,000 dirhams. How can we afford to pay that?”
Kasim Khan, a Pakistani, said he and his wife are sharing a villa in Rashidiya with his cousins. Khan, who is a lorry driver, said his salary of 4,500 dirhams is not enough for him to rent his own flat. “Two years ago, the landlord allowed us to build the room that I am living in. I and my cousins each pay 1,500 dirhams a month to cover the 90,000 dirhams a year rent for the villa.” Khan said that he does not know what to do as he cannot afford to move anywhere else in Dubai or even to Sharjah. “We will look for a villa in Ajman to share. But that will mean that I will end up spending at least three hours in traffic everyday trying to get to work and back. I may even be forced to go and live at a labor camp and send my wife back home,” he said. News from arabnews.com
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