“ The distressing image of the anarchic constructions that proliferated from Maghnia to Tebessa ” President Abdelaziz Bouteflika: 19th December, 2006 The Government declares war on precarious housing and slums THE BATTLE OF GREATER ALGIERS “PRESIDENT BOUTEFLIKA FREES ALGERIA OF ITS ACUTE HOUSING CRISIS” Upon taking office in April 1999, President Abdelaziz Bouteflika had grasped the extent of the housing crisis and its devastating impact on millions of Algerians. He had made this issue a priority as well as the restoration of peace, the upgrading of the infrastructural level and the enhancement of Algeria’s position internationally. He promised to resolve this «scourge» and he duly kept all his promises. Since the Algerian people elected Abdellaziz Bouteflika, President of the Republic in 1999, nearly 2.8 million new housing units have been delivered across all provinces of the country. A historical performance, that even his fiercest opponents are forced to recognize today by retreating into a “talking” silence, achieved thanks to the total commitment of the Government led by Abdelmalek Sellal and the remarkable return of a statesman namely Abdelmadjid Tebboune, to the helm of a sector he knows perfectly. But who would have thought that the Algerian capital, completely disfigured in the 1990s, would be fully cleared of misfortune outgrowths in a record time? Who would have sincerely believed that, including the optimists? It took men of the caliber of Tebboune and the tireless Zoukh Abdelkader, Wali or Governor of Algiers, to commit body and soul to a «fight» of the Titans to give back “Algiers the White” its pristine reputation. For twenty years, thousands of families, if not tens of thousands, had been living in miserable conditions, deprived of the minimum in Algiers and its suburbs: worse than the “Favelas” of Rio De Janeiro, with a dearth in drinking water and an infrastructural deficiency at all levels. In less than two decades, the program of President of the Republic has succeeded in reversing all the negative trends. By Mohamed MEBARKI SPECIAL ISSUE FOCUSAoût 2014 ON HOUSING El-Djazaïr.com 3 The Government declares war on precarious housing and slums THE BATTLE OF GREATER ALGIERS President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, inspecting several housing projects he new cities of Sidi embarking fully upon a decisive phase consequences of the most horrific Abdallah (Algiers), Bouinan to eradicate this symptom of a ghastly population movements in the history of (Blida), Ali Mendjeli life. And the clues are there to confirm mankind. It is a historical fact. In addition (Constantine), Hamla this trend: anything that regards the year to the tens of thousands of families who (Batna) and Boughezoul 2016, the state foresees the delivery of fled the douars (small villages) then (Medea), the integrated 350,000 new housing units of all types, targeted by bombardments and napalm, urban poles of Boukhalfa and Oued Falli having delivered 318, 000 units in 2015. the Algerian State also had to face up T(Tizi Ouzou), Gdyel and Messerghine Undoubtedly, Algeria is one of the few to the return from neighbouring Morocco (Oran) among other major housing if not the only country in the world that and Tunisia of an impressive number of projects initiated across the country, has made so many efforts to address refugees, which in turn came to settle constitute a prime example of the avant- concretely this sensitive issue. Far from down on the outskirts of large cities garde policy pursued by Algeria in the empty speeches and electioneering and major urban centers. It is in these area of housing and land development. programs serving as a cover for sordid very dire circumstances that hundreds Many experts agree to assert that at this personal ambitions - it is a phenomenon of slums have been «attached» to rate, the country is not only in line to fill that spares no country including the an urban landscape which has been up the gaps, but is in a pole position Western democracies-, the housing suffocating under the weight of a to put an end to urban insecurity in issue has not only been at the crux population in distress. Certainly, decent accordance with the standards set out of interest of all governments that housing construction programs had by international organizations affiliated been initiated and launched between have succeeded since the country’s to the UN. In less than two decades, 1962 and 1982, but it was not enough independence, but it has also served precarious and makeshift housing has to alleviate a phenomenon that kept on as a mobilizing factor and a rallying of drastically lost ground in Algeria. expanding, plunging the country into a energies. Paradoxical as it may seem, when some deep and severe housing crisis. developed countries are experiencing a Neither the handover of state property significant return of this form of random The soreness of the 80’s nor the various self-building policies existence that now affects thousands of Barely out of a long colonial night, have succeeded in reversing a negative people with limited resources, Algeria is Algeria had to grapple with the terrible trend whose consequences were 4 El-Djazaïr.com SPECIAL ISSUEAoût FOCUS 2014 ON HOUSING The Government declares war on precarious housing and slums THE BATTLE OF GREATER ALGIERS socially disastrous. The causes of the forced to take unpopular decisions by with a part of which settled by the gap between supply and explosive ordering the displacement of hundreds allotment of lands in the South and the demand are manifold and their detailed of families settled in the capital to their Highlands, M. Abdelmadjid Tebboune, identification couldn’t be dealt with in wilayas or provinces of origin, but Minister of Housing, Town Planning and two or three press articles. these measures had not altered the the city said recently. Since the Algerian As a reminder, but also an example, situation. Algiers, Oran, Constantine, people massively elected Abdelaziz the assembling of all parts and this is Annaba and a dozen other cities were Bouteflika, President of the Republic not a play on words; expansion and crumbling under the staggering weight in 1999 «we have been able to deliver eradication in the early 1980s, of the of a ghettoized population living in nearly 2.8 million new housing units “Gorias” slum extending from Diar El slums that terrorism had then used as across all provinces of the country,» Mahçoul to El Harrach was the subject rear bases for its destructive plans. said Abdelmafjid Tebboune. of serious academic studies developed Ironically, thousands of rural families How the state was able to record this by experts in architecture and town who had fled the undue pressure of most positive result which deserves planning. The erection of the Mahiedine armed terrorist groups and insecurity more than a reflection? Part of the slum and its eradication followed by the have further complicated an untenable answer is contained in the statements construction of the Harcha sports hall situation by settling in very precarious made by M. Tebboune: «1.1 million units, in central Algiers became the subject of conditions at the existing slums. In the all segments taken together, are under in-depth analyses and sharp comments. late 1990s, and as an indication, the achievement including 575, 000 social During the 1980s, the wound caused city of Constantine was surrounded by housing units, 150,000 rural dwellings by precarious housing has worsened more than 17 000 shacks. In Algiers, and 85,000 social participatory housing further when Algeria found itself under the situation was even worse. In Oran, units and subsidized promotional the dictates of the international financial in Batna or even in Tiaret or Jijel, the housing units», recently stated the institutions. context was no better. Minister who was keen to stress the Hit hard by the financial crisis, the country 2016, the year of all hopes determination of the State to put an found itself in a cessation of payment The housing deficit exceeded 3 million. end to one of the major problems of and couldn’t meet its obligations towards A huge figure, indeed ! Today, the deficit independent Algeria. its creditors. The state had even been is estimated to 550, 000 applications Concerning the 125, 000 dwellings President Bouteflika, inaugurating new social housing units SPECIAL ISSUE FOCUSAoût 2014 ON HOUSING El-Djazaïr.com 5 The Government declares war on precarious housing and slums THE BATTLE OF GREATER ALGIERS under construction in the wilaya context, this statement alone reflects new homes located at the new city of or province of Algiers, Abdelmajid the tremendous progress made by a Ali Mendjeli. In the same context, 6,000 Tebboune insisted they will be primarily country that has spent up to $ 63 billion public rental units in the new Ali Mendjeli allocated to subscribers to the 2001 dollars today to drastically curb the city and whose completion construction and 2002 AADL housing program who housing crisis and to cope irreversibly rate has reached 70%, will be allocated will receive their pre-allocations before with precarious housing. before the end of the year. next June, while the remaining surplus «No square meter of housing program In Tebessa, Khenchela, Ouargla, Sidi will be destined to the 2013 subscribers planned under the 2015-2019 five-year Bel-Abbes, Bejaia, Ghardaïa and in who will secure their pre-assignments program will be affected or impacted Annaba as elsewhere, similar re- before the end of the year. Mobilized adversely by current price fluctuations housing operations are planned for the around the clock, Abdelkader Zoukh, on the oil markets» reassured the current year. The year 2016 will certainly Wali or Governor of Algiers, is better Minister of Housing, Town Planning mark the history of Algeria with letters of placed than anyone to talk about the and the City during a working meeting gold; a year to be enrolled in the annals extraordinary transformation of the held recently in Constantine (Eastern of «Pharaonic» achievements of this urban plan witnessed by the capital.