Law No. 2 of 2007 on the Housing System

Law Summary Record Type: LawNumber: 2Date: 21/02/2007 Corresponding to 04/02/1428 HijriNumber of Articles: 19Status: In force
Official Gazette :Issue: 3Offcial Journal Issue Publication Date: 11/04/2007 Corresponding to 24/03/1428 HijriPage from: 11
طباعة
 



We, Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, Deputy Emir of the State of Qatar;
Having perused the Constitution;
Law No. 1 of 1964 on the Establishment of Public Housing, as amended;
 Decree No. 7 of 1977 organizing the Housing of Senior Qatari officials, as amended;
The proposal of the Minister of Civil Service and Housing Affairs;
The draft law submitted by the Council of Ministers;
And having consulted the Shura Council;
Hereby promulgate the following law:

Articles

Article 1

 In the application of the provisions of the present Law, the following words and expressions shall bear the meaning assigned thereto, unless the context requires otherwise:
“Ministry”means the Ministry of Civil Service Affairs and Housing, or any other authority with competence over housing affairs;
“Minister”means the Minister for Civil Service Affairs and Housing, or the head of any authority with competence over housing affairs;
“Authority”means the Public Authority for Planning and Urban Development;
“Bank” means Qatar Development Bank or any other local bank;
“Housing Loan”means loan designated for the building of homes subject to the provisions of this law;
“Beneficiary”means any person benefiting from the Housing System according to the provisions of this law.

Article 2

 The Housing System shall have the purpose, according to the provisions of this law, of contributing to the provision of appropriate housing for citizens, through the following:
1 - Granting of cash to beneficiary. Such cash shall be determined by resolution of the Council of Ministers based on a proposal by the Minister for buying land needed for the construction of the house. The Ministry may, after coordination with the Authority, to allocate instead to the beneficiary the piece of land necessary so long as the area thereof does not exceed six hundred and twenty-five (625) square meters within the city of Doha, and one thousand (1000) meters outside of the same.
2-Housing loan of up to six hundred thousand (600,000) Riyals may be granted to citizens whose financial resources enable them to repay the value of the loan, as well as the collection of administrative expenses of 1% annually, decreasing according to the value of the amount repaidof the loan, on the condition that financing isconducted through the Bank. The repayment of the loan shall be performed within the limits and procedures established by resolution of the Council of Ministers.
The area of land, and the value of the loan referred to in the preceding paragraphs may be amended by resolution of the Council of Ministers.
3- Provision of housing units by purchase or lease.

Article 3

 Save as provided by the provisions of the preceding Article, the beneficiary may be granted the specified amount for the purchase of land, and a housing loan, if the beneficiary is providing a home or residential unit, in accordance with the rules and procedures established by resolution of the Council of Ministers, on the proposal of the Minister.

Article 4

 It shall not be permitted for the beneficiary to obtain more than one house from any authority, according to the provisions of this law, or any other regulations.

Article 5

 The submission of applications and decisions thereon shall be done in accordance with the schedules and procedures established by resolution of the Minister.

Article 6

 No-one shall benefit from this system except:
1- persons of Qatari nationality.
2- persons over the age of 21.
The Council of Ministers shall issue a resolution on the priorities and controls on benefiting from such system, and defining the conditions and controls for naturalised persons thereby to benefit from the same, based on a proposal by the minister.

Article 7

 A resolution of the Council of Ministers shall issue, based on the proposal of the Minister, compulsory measures to be taken in the case of withdrawal of Qatari nationality or renunciation of the same on the part of the beneficiary.

Article 8

 It is not prohibited for a person to continue to benefit from this system while receiving housing allowance established in accordance with the system in force in the body which employs such person.

Article 9

 The bank shall have the right of lien, on the land, the building thereon or the purchased residential unit until the repayment of theinstalments of the loan is complete.

Article 10

 Article 10
It shall not be permitted for the beneficiary to dispose of the land or the house or the residential unit in any way, or create any right in remprincipal or consequential thereupon, before the expiration of a period of fifteen years from the date he received them, and repayment of the loan and its instalments in full, unless he submits the appropriate security, approved by the bank.
Any disposition or contract contravening these provisions shall be deemed absolutely null and void. Such disposition or contract may not be registered and shall have no legal effectfor the contracting and third parties.
The prohibition referred to applies equally to the heirs of the beneficiary.

Article 11

 The allocation of housing shall be cancelled, and the land including buildings shall be recovered by direct administrative execution, albeit by using coercive force, and without the need for any further action, if the beneficiary has benefited from the housing system through fraud or as a result of providing falsestatements orinformation.
Likewise, the measures stipulated in the preceding paragraph shall be taken if the beneficiary has violated the conditions andobligations set out in this law, or the resolutions issued in implementation thereof. Funds paid by the beneficiary shall be returned thereto, as well as any additional costs of workscarried outin accordance with the approval of the Ministry.
The housing shall be re-allocated to another beneficiary who meets the conditions for benefiting in accordance with the provisions herein.

Article 12

 The bank shall be responsible for building houses and residential units necessary for those in need, and leasing thereof to the Ministry,which shall bear responsibility for allocating the same in cases which meet the conditions for benefiting set out in the following Article.
In the case of a lack of housing or housing units for this purpose, the Ministry may grant the beneficiary the rent value instead.

Article 13

 No one shall have the benefit of one of the houses for those in need, or rent allowance unless the person is:
1- A Qatari citizen; and
2- Has proved in his social status, his need for housingaccording to the procedures set out in Law No. 38 of 1995.
Such conditions shall be in effect at the time of the submission of the application for benefit, when the person received the housing or rent, and throughout the duration of benefiting therefrom.
A resolution shall be issued by the Council of Ministers, on proposal of the Minister, on the priorities and controls on benefiting from this Housing System, defining the conditions and controls for naturalised persons to benefit therefrom.

Article 14

 Where the beneficiary suffers from total incapacity, according to a report by the competent medical authority, or his death, the beneficiary or heirs thereof, shall mutatis mutandisbe exempted from repayment of 50% of the instalments of the loan payable after the date of the beneficiary death or incapacity. Said person or heirs shall also be exempt from payment of the administrative fees prescribed by It shall be permitted, by a resolution of the Emir, based on a proposal from the Council of Ministers, to exempt, in full or in part, the remaining loan, in circumstances of emergency or disaster, or in cases of repayment of 75% of the payments regularly.
thisLaw.  

Article 15

 Without prejudice to any more severe penalty provided for in any other law, anyone who benefits from the Housing System through fraud or as a result of providing false statements or information shall be punished with a period of imprisonment not exceeding sixth months or with a fine of not less than ten thousand (10,000) riyals and not more than fifty thousand (50,000) riyals, or both.

Article 16

 The Ministry shall be responsible, in co-ordination with the Ministry of Finance, for providing the annual appropriations necessary for meeting the costs of implementing the provisions of this law.

Article 17

 The provisions of this law shall not apply to Legal Centres completed before the effective date of its provisions.
The Council of Ministers, based on a proposal of the Minister, shall issue the resolutions necessary for the implementation of this law, and for the effectiveness of those resolutions, the system currently in effect shall continue in effect insofar as they do not conflict with the provisions of this law.

Article 18

 Law No. 1 of 1964 and Decree No. 7 of 1977, referred to above, and each provision contrary to the provisions of this law shall be repealed.

Article 19

 All the competent authorities, each within its own jurisdiction, shall implement this law. This legislation shall enters into force as of the 1st of April 2007and shall bepublished in the Official Gazette.