Most young adults dream of buying a flat on manageable terms. Two years ago, that dream came true for 2,500 young people after four years on the waiting list for apartments in the Remaya project in Giza.
Accountant and family man Mohssen Abdul Fadil is one of the lucky residents of Remaya."I was renting a flat for LE300 a month when I saw the advertisement by Giza Governorate for the Remaya project," Abdul Fadil said."Each flat cost LE34,500 -- LE5,000 as a down payment and the rest to be paid at LE122 a month over 40 years. "Even before the project was complete, the price crept up to LE42,000, but I still took on an apartment, he added. "However, four months after we moved in, cracks started to appear in the walls. One of the blocks was tilting at 8 centimetres from the vertical." Residents complained to the governorate for weeks without response. "Finally officials inspected the buildings and offered residents alternative accommodation until corrective maintenance was carried out. "They suggested we move to Kafr Ammar in Monieb district which is not fit for cattle!"Another resident, Ayman A.M. said the inspectors officials talked about subsidence due to watering the surrounding gardens."They had sewage systems replaced. Later, committee from the Housing Research Centre inspected the Remaya project and promised a report on whether the housing units would need maintenance or not," Ayman said."More cracks appeared in other blocks and buildings 15 and 16 were tilting at 4 centimetres. As a quick-fix solution, the Giza Governorate extended the concrete connections, but within 48 hours they broke."Chairman of Giza City Council, Mohamed Sedki said: "We are responsible only for distributing the flats to selected members of the public.""However, we have prepared alternative accommodation in Kafr Ammar until the necessary repairs have been carried out," Sedki added.
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