About us
The Public Authority for Housing Welfare (“PAHW”) was established in accordance with Law (47) of 1993 to provide different housing welfare alternatives for eligible citizens. The Authority implements government-housing policies while its directions form an integral part of the economic and social system of the State of Kuwait.
With a higher demand to increase the rate of implementation, PAHW’s strategy and projects introduce a higher level of public- private interaction and partnership; encouraging real estate developers to further interact with its plans and projects.
PAHW Legal Status
PAHW is a public authority that acts as a corporate body with an independent budget, subject to supervision by the Minister in charge of housing affairs.
PAHW's Capital
PAHW capital consists of two components; Cash and In kind :
Cash
The cash component amounts to (KD 1,600,000,000) (One billion six hundred million Kuwaiti Dinars). The Minister of Finance is authorized to introduce any increases to capital in one or more payment. Engaging other government authorities and public institutions and organizations to generate the required financing.
In kind
The in kind component consists of lands currently allocated and those to be allocated in the future for housing welfare objectives.
Our History
The State of Kuwait paid considerable attention to the housing welfare of its citizens from the early 1950’s by way of social welfare that the State provides; similar to education, healthcare and others, as the Government had set plans for housing low-income families. The development of planning and organization of housing areas, cities and procedures used to carried out through government legislation to establish entities concerned with provision of housing welfare, according to the following chronology:
-
Establishment of the Construction Board 1954:
In December 1954, the Government of Kuwait adopted a decision to establish the Construction Board to announce its urban and housing policy at the time when the building of 2000 houses commenced in multiple models distributed over five areas. On completion, the Construction Board, in cooperation with Kuwait Municipality distributed the completed households to eligible families.
Establishment of the State Property Department 1956:
In August 1956, the State Property Department was established to assume the duty of distribution of public houses to eligible families, having ascertained that eligibility requirements of housing apply to them.
-
Establishment of the Housing Committee 1958:
In 1958, the Housing Committee was formed in cooperation with the State Property Department to distribute government houses to the eligible beneficiaries. This was followed by the formation of another committee, called the Housing Distribution Committee, formed by local members to assign and distribute the government housing to eligible citizens.
-
Establishment of the Credit Bank 1960:
In 1960 Law No. (40) was issued establishing the Credit bank to manage the real state, industrial and agricultural credit of citizens, in addition to lending the State employees as guaranteed by their salaries or end of service benefits.
-
The State Property Department joined the Ministry of Finance in 1961:
In 1961, the State Property Department was incorporated into the Housing Department of the Ministry of Finance and Economy (currently Ministry of Finance) and new rules for the distribution of government housing to eligible families were issued, after conducting prerequisite social research on applicants to assure their eligibility to such housing.
-
Transfer of Housing Affairs to Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor in 1962::
In 1962, the Amiri Decree was issued to assign the duty of research and distribution of public housing for the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor. In 1967, the legal system of housing welfare was issued under a resolution of the Minister of Social Affairs. The legal system established comprehensive rules on eligibility for housing. The total number of houses distributed to citizens by such authorities at the time was 15,843 units.
-
Establishment of the Credit and Saving Bank 1965:
In 1965, Law No (30) establishing the Credit and Saving Bank was enacted to replace the Credit Bank and introduced further amendments to its objectives and scope of work, such as propagation of saving awareness and management of social credit.
-
Establishment of the General Authority for Housing in 1974:
In 1974, Law No. (15) was issued to establish the General Authority for Housing to take over the establishment of government housing for eligible families. Under this law, the Authority released many administrative and accounting restrictions to enable it to carry out its tasks effectively. The General Authority for Housing was not assigned at the time to distribute housing but supervised construction operations only.
-
Establishment of the Ministry of Housing in 1975:
In 1975, the Ministry of Housing was established, which was entrusted with coordinating with the General Authority for Housing on the residential areas allocated for distribution to the beneficiaries; while conducting the necessary research to ascertain the eligibility of each family for housing, and was entrusted with the allocation of government houses to eligible families.
-
Integration of the Ministry of Housing with Public Authority of Housing Welfare in 1986:
In July 1986, the government decided to unify the housing entities into one unit to save time and administrative and technical efforts. The Ministry of Housing was then merged with the General Authority for Housing. So that, the general authority for housing would assume planning, designing, implementing and distributing government housing to eligible families. General Authority for Housing “Housing care system” by Ministerial Resolution No. 1116 of 1989.
-
Public Authority for Housing Welfare, January 1993:
In accordance with Law No. 47 of 1993, PAHW was established to provide the housing welfare services to eligible families.