Mouvement Populaire proposes rent-to-own housing reform

Mohamed Ouzzine, Secretary General of the Mouvement Populaire, has proposed a new housing policy reform in Marrakech centered on a “rent-to-own” model. The initiative aims to help low-to-middle-income households, employees, and young people transition from renting to property ownership by allowing a portion of monthly rent to be converted into capital for home acquisition.

The proposed program follows a three-stage roadmap: registration of eligible households, the commencement of benefits, and eventual full ownership. To support this, the party suggests utilizing public land, providing public financing guarantees, reducing construction costs, and offering long-term bank credits tailored to repayment capacities.

Ouzzine emphasized that the goal is to shift from a policy of “the right to housing” to “the right to home ownership,” viewing property as a tool for family stability and wealth creation. If the party gains government responsibility, they plan to conduct a census of eligible households in the first year of their mandate, with the rollout beginning in the second year.