Govt low-income housing projects left abandoned, many houses destroyed

Colombo, April 24 (Daily Mirror) - Houses built under government housing assistance programmes for low-income families between 2015 and 2019 have been found abandoned and in a damaged condition in the Polonnaruwa District.

The issue came to light during an inspection visit to the Welikanda Division on 23 April 2026 by the Deputy Minister of Housing, Construction and Water Supply. The visit covered 42 housing schemes built in 2019 under the Housing Development Authority’s (HDA) programme.

Officials said that only one installment of funding was released to selected beneficiaries, forcing many families to stop construction midway. As a result, several incomplete houses were later abandoned and have now been damaged by jungle growth.

It was also alleged that some beneficiaries were politically connected individuals who already owned houses or property, leading to further misuse of the programme.

During the inspection, the Deputy Minister observed housing schemes in Burulu, Aselapura and Banagama Kalingawila, including 35 houses in one location and 22 houses each in two others. He instructed officials to review the cases and resume construction where genuine housing needs exist, using available budget allocations for 2026.

Authorities also noted that out of a planned 64,407 houses under the 2015–2019 programme nationwide, only 10,532 were completed.

A committee is expected to be appointed to investigate the shortcomings and delays in the project.