Sharjah cracks whip on bachelors

Sharjah The municipality has taken stringent measures to relocate low-income workers who live in villas within residential neighbourhoods in Sharjah.

The municipality reported that 40 per cent of bachelors have already been evicted.

The inspection campaign was implemented early last month and was aimed at low-income workers who overcrowd villas and apartments. Bachelors also posed a security threat to families who felt unsafe living next to them. In a raid that took place last week, Sharjah Municipality discovered 45 low-income workers overcrowding a home in the Wasit area.

"We are continuing the campaign throughout all areas that are populated by Emirati families and will soon target Al Qadisiyah, Maysaloon, Al Mujarrah and Al Naba'a," said Engr Sultan Abdullah Al Mualla, Director-General of Sharjah Municipality.

He said municipal inspectors will soon be checking neighbourhoods in Samnan, Halwan, Al Khezammia and Al Mansura.

"The power supply in villas that are inhabited by low-income workers will be disconnected, but the inhabitants will not be left homeless. Before we disconnect the power supply, we are cooperating with employers to ensure that they have an alternative accommodation in the industrial areas," explained Al Mualla.

According to the rule, low-income workers or employees who earn less than Dh4,000 a month are required to live either in a worker's accommodation or in industrial areas, regardless of profession.

White collar professionals who earn a minimum of Dh4,000 can live in any residential building in the city.

Khalid Al Shamsi, Director of the Consumer Protection Department at Sharjah Municipality, explained that each case is taken into consideration before relocating bachelors.

"We had a case where four tailors lived in a residential building located on top of their shop. Each tailor made a monthly income of Dh1,000 so we allowed them to continue living in their one-bedroom apartment because the combined monthly income reached Dh4,000," noted Al Shamsi.

According to Sharjah Municipality rules, a maximum of three people per bedroom is allowed. An official at the Department of Housing explained that villas inhabited by bachelors who share a room with more than 20 people is not acceptable.

The official agrees with the observation of Sharjah Municipality Director-General Al Mualla who pointed out that the majority of villas were initially built by Emirati families, but once they moved to new neighbourhoods, the families decided to rent them out to bachelors, mostly from Asian nationalities.

"Emiratis are renting out their old houses to bachelors to supplement their income, but this practice cannot be carried out in the new neighbourhoods. These new plots of land, mainly in Al Ramaqia and Al Rahmania, were given by [His Highness Dr Shaikh Sultan Bin Mohammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and] Ruler of Sharjah and, as per regulations, Emirati owners cannot rent out their houses before 14 years have been completed," the Department of Housing official said.

Bachelor's lament

Many bachelors meanwhile have complained that they find it difficult to find accommodation.

"We can't find anything good and affordable in the industrial areas because most of the buildings there are crowded with labourers," said Khurram Bashir, who works as a salesman and has been evicted from shared accommodation in a villa.

He said that there are many white-collar workers like him who want to have a decent and affordable place to live.