Sri Lanka marks World Habitat Day by donating a home to a thousand low-income families
Last Sunday evening, eve of World Habitat Day, a ceremony was held at Temple Trees in the presence of Sri Lankan President Dissanayake to mark the start of a programme to provide a home to at least 4,000 families in need. Land and a symbolic cheque were also handed over. The government pledged to offer a safe, comfortable, and dignified living environment for all its citizens.
Colombo (AsiaNews) – Responding to a housing emergency and the needs of the most vulnerable segments of the population, the Sri Lankan government provided a thousand newly completed homes to eligible beneficiaries on World Habitat Day, an observance celebrated worldwide on Monday, 6 October.
The handover took place a day earlier, on Sunday evening, during a ceremony held at Temple Trees, the Prime Minister's official residence, in the presence and under the patronage of Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.
World Habitat Day is celebrated every first Monday of October under the auspices of the United Nations to reflect on the state of countries and cities and on the fundamental right of all to have adequate and dignified shelter and housing.
The president handed over a thousand homes, which were built using digital technology as part of a programme by the National Housing Development Authority aimed at providing housing to nearly 4,000 low-income families without the financial means to build their own homes.
The theme chosen for the 2025 edition of the UN Day was "A Place to Belong - A Beautiful Life." In keeping with this, a Habitat Week was held between 1 and 5 October, during which a series of activities and events were held across the country.
Some 357 symbolic land deeds were handed over, contributing to the recipients’ wellbeing. The thousand low-income families received financial assistance amounting to one million rupees each (US$ 3,300). President Dissanayake symbolically presented a cheque with the given amount to 157 ci beneficiaries.
The president also visited an art exhibition organised to promote the creative talent of schoolchildren marking World Habitat Day and an exhibition of design concepts related to housing planning.
Addressing the gathering, Minister of Urban Development, Construction, and Housing Anura Karunathilaka said that the present government had formulated and was implementing a comprehensive programme to meet Sri Lankans’ housing expectations.
The government, the minister noted, was well aware of the need for a systematic approach to housing planning, while promoting a broader dialogue within society on the concept of housing.
He also reiterated that the government is committed to creating a safe, comfortable, and dignified living environment for all Sri Lankans.
Harshini Halangoda, head of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) in Sri Lanka, delivered a message from United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on this day.
During the ceremony, the Ambatale water supply project was formally presented to the president. Expected to be implemented with the assistance of the Indian government and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDR), it is currently underway.
Like past initiatives, this one is also supported by a contribution from the UN-Habitat Sri Lanka office.
.png)
04/02/2025 18:25
31/03/2025 16:18
15/02/2025 14:35
