Rent help for needy

By MOHAMMED AL A'ALI
NEEDY families who could have been forced on to the street under a house renovation scheme will now be allocated rent money for temporary accommodation.
They will be given BD150 a month after they move out while their homes are being renovated, when previously the scheme did not provide them with temporary accommodation or a housing allowance.
Manama Municipal Council members decided yesterday to include this financial aid in the scheme after concerns were raised on where the families would be kept, if told to leave during renovations.
The new BD500,000 scheme, divided equally on Bahrain's five municipal councils, is expected to begin next year.
Council technical committee chairman Sadiq Rahma said people most in need of help would have been made homeless while the scheme proceeded.
"The problem is that when the Municipalities and Agriculture Ministry drew up the scheme, which includes major renovations and remodelling, they forgot about those who will be told to move out to make way for work," he said.
"They only took minor work into consideration, which could be done in a few days.
"The council has already agreed unified colours for the houses to ensure they are distinguishable and done according to a certain pattern so no renovated or remodelled homes will be different from the rest."
The project is separate from His Majesty King Hamad's Scheme for Dilapidated Homes, which aims to renovate 6,000 dilapidated homes in five years.
Under that scheme, families who are moved out of their home while work is carried out are given a temporary housing allowance.