CEO of Habitat for Humanity International Commends Cambodia’s Housing Development Policies

During the meeting, the CEO briefed Samdech Thipadei on HFHI’s mission and activities in various countries, including Cambodia, guided by its vision of “a world where everyone has a decent place to live”. He expressed his appreciation for Samdech Thipadei’s visionary leadership, particularly his strong commitment to promoting decent housing and strengthening the health and education sectors to improve the living standards of the Cambodian people. He also expressed his gratitude to the Royal Government of Cambodia for its continued support for HFHI’s mission in the country since 2003. Furthermore, he commended the Royal Government’s commitment to developing housing policies for low-income, poor, and vulnerable citizens. He reaffirmed HFHI’s commitment to continuing its close cooperation with relevant ministries and institutions to strengthen its partnership with the Royal Government and further improve the well-being and living conditions of the Cambodian people.

In response, Samdech Thipadei expressed his appreciation for HFHI’s contributions to improving the living conditions of the Cambodian people over the past 23 years. He underscored that the Royal Government attaches high priority to strengthening urban development, improving living conditions, and promoting affordable housing for low-income and impoverished families, as set out in the Pentagonal Strategy – Phase I. Recognising the importance of legal land ownership for citizens, the Royal Government has set a target to complete the distribution of land titles by 2027. This initiative aims to create favorable conditions for citizens to utilize their real estate assets to sustain their livelihoods while instilling further confidence among investors. Consequently, this will enable the Royal Government to formulate long-term land-use master plans and effectively implement the concept of “Model Villages, Rural Boreys, Peaceful Villages, and Happy Homes”

Samdech Thipadei added that the Royal Government has introduced various programmes and policies to provide land and housing for landless citizens, including the Forest Protection Land Grant Programme for Joint Sustainable Development, social land concessions, and the Land Allocation for Social and Economic Development (LASED) Project. In particular, Samdech Thipadei highlighted the Royal Government’s commitment to constructing approximately 5,000 temporary shelters for people displaced by past conflicts along the Cambodia–Thailand border.

Before concluding the meeting, Samdech Thipadei encouraged the CEO of HFHI to maintain close dialogue and cooperation with relevant ministries and institutions of the Royal Government of Cambodia to ensure the continued successful implementation of the organisation’s projects in line with national policies on providing decent housing for the Cambodian people.

(Unofficial Translation)