Government Funds New Modular Emergency Container Homes Project

The Minister of Housing and Lands, Shakeel Mohamed, has unveiled a pioneering “House Banks” initiative designed to provide immediate shelter to Mauritian families facing sudden homelessness. The project aims to deploy modular emergency housing in under an hour for those displaced by unforeseen crises such as fires, natural disasters, or sudden evictions.

The “Emergency Houses” scheme marks a significant departure from existing state housing programmes.

Unlike the long-term builds managed by the National Housing Development Company (NHDC) or the New Social Living Development (NSLD), these units are designed exclusively for rapid, short-term intervention.

Rapid Deployment Units

The units will be constructed from expandable metallic structures, similar to container homes, rather than traditional concrete.

These will be stored in warehouses and transported to pre-prepared “service plots” when disaster strikes.

“The idea is a ‘plug and play’ system,” Minister Mohamed explained. “The base is ready, water, electricity, and sanitation connections are already in place, and the house can be installed in a very short time.”

Each unit will be fully equipped with bedrooms, a kitchen, and toilet facilities to ensure families live in dignity during transitional periods.

Addressing a Humanitarian Gap

The Minister highlighted a growing trend of families, including young children, being forced to sleep in public gardens, on beaches, or “under the stars” due to a lack of immediate state options.

“We have seen too many people forced to sleep outside due to unforeseen circumstances,” Mr Mohamed said.

“It is not acceptable in a self-respecting society to leave a family outside because of a fire or a flood.”

He was careful to distinguish this initiative from shelters for the chronically homeless, noting that this project targets those who lose their homes overnight through no fault of their own—a structured system he claims has never been implemented by previous governments.

Fully Funded by the State

Reflecting Mauritius’s status as a welfare state, the government will bear the total cost of the project.

Minister Mohamed stated it would be “indecent” to ask families who have just lost everything to pay for emergency shelter.

Next Steps for the Project:

• Final Consultations: A multi-ministerial meeting is scheduled for next week to finalise eligibility criteria and coordination.
• Site Identification: Several accessible sites near transport links and basic services have already been selected.
• Tendering: A formal call for tenders for the manufacture of the modular units is expected to follow shortly.

Source: l’Express