Women's Housing Reduces Waiting Lists for Rented Accommodations

The file concerning women’s housing at the Public Authority for Housing Affairs has recently seen notable momentum, with accelerated distribution of government-rented homes in the Salwa and Taima areas, reaching applicants from 2014. This progress runs parallel to the updating of entitlement data, the recovery of underutilized units, and their re-allocation. The authority continues its distribution process after surveying homes and presenting them in future lotteries, a move that has significantly reduced waiting lists in the “rented housing” file.

The Women’s Housing Affairs Committee, chaired by Sheikhah Bibi Al-Yousef, has led this file since its establishment as a permanent committee on July 27, 2025. Its mandate includes reviewing appeals, complaints, and special cases; conducting lotteries for government-rented homes; overseeing properties designated for women; and developing visions and procedures related to women’s housing.

Following the committee’s formation, a series of initiatives and meetings were held to define its operational framework. Key activities included field visits, monitoring violations in rented housing areas, and outlining the conditions and documents required during the data update period for applications submitted by female citizens.

In 2025, the committee held a lottery on October 28, distributing 214 homes to women with disabilities. On December 2, 170 homes were allocated to applicants from 2001 and earlier. On December 25, 2025, 194 units were distributed to applicants from 2005 and earlier.

The year 2026 saw a series of lotteries, beginning on January 15 with the distribution of 349 homes in Salwa and Taima to applicants from December 31, 2008, and earlier. On February 4, the committee held a lottery for applicants up to the end of 2010, inviting 300 female citizens, of whom 276 attended.

In April, the committee shifted to a “mini-lottery” mechanism, distributing available units weekly rather than waiting to accumulate large numbers. The month saw consecutive lotteries involving 20 units, followed by the summoning of 30 female citizens (15 of whom attended), as well as two additional lotteries for 40 and 34 women.

On May 25, the committee distributed approximately 150 ready homes in Salwa and Taima. On July 8, it held another lottery covering 205 homes for divorced and widowed women with Kuwaiti children, women with first-degree disabilities, and applicants with valid excuses who could not attend previous distributions. This marked the milestone of reaching applicants from 2014.

The committee’s work extended beyond lotteries. It proposed a solution for outdated, unupdated applications, which was translated into a ministerial decision amending the Housing Care Regulations by adding Article 96 bis. This article obliges applicants for government-rented homes to update their data and documents within 90 days, with the possibility of canceling and striking off applications that fail to comply.

Additionally, the ceiling for the monthly allowance for rented housing was reviewed, reaching 2,000 dinars in specific cases linked to educational or health loans. Stricter supervision was also imposed on units to prevent subletting, commercial use, or unjustified vacancy, aiming to recover non-compliant homes and re-allocate them to eligible beneficiaries.

The committee’s attention is now focused on the Affordable Housing Project, viewed as a future solution for the file. It emphasized that beneficiaries will not be relocated until basic services are ready. The committee has also proposed naming the project “Wabra.”

Furthermore, the committee has included the file of unmarried Kuwaiti women in its future visions, despite current laws not permitting their applications under eligible categories. This initiative aims to find a housing solution for them within the legal framework.

This shift has moved the Women’s Housing program from managing multi-year waiting lists to a process focused on updating applications, reclaiming unutilized units, and rapidly redistributing them, while continuing the challenge of reducing the backlog of existing applications, ultimately aiming for more sustainable housing solutions.

• February 4, 2026: 276 housing units, in addition to 9 cases for women with disabilities, for applications submitted through the end of 2010.

• May 25, 2026: Approximately 150 homes in Al-Sulaybiyah and Tayma.