Saleh Fareed

Saudi Gazette

 

JEDDAH — The Social Affairs Department in Madinah has finally ended the plight of a Saudi family forced to live in a park in the holy city after they were kicked out from their rented house a week ago.



Omar Yousef, a father of seven, took his family to live outdoors as he could not afford to pay the rent for the house they had been living in for years.



Along with his furniture and six children Abdulrahman (15), Luma (12), Lian (11), Yousuf (5), Yara (3) and Yasmeen (1), Yousef had been living in the park for a few days while his wife had to stay at her family’s house.



Yousef said: “It came to this situation since I could not meet my financial commitments due to the loans I had taken out.



“My debts reached around SR500,000 but lately my landlord refused to let me live in my house for not paying the rent, so I took my kids to the public park because I could not afford to pay up.”



After a social expert reported the family’s situation to the head of Madinah Social Affairs, Hatem Barri, a temporary furnished apartment was provided to the family.



Speaking after receiving the apartment, Yousef said: “Thanks to Allah, I had a lot of hope in our officials in Madinah to respond to our plight and am very happy to see my kids living under one roof and living in peace. I hope things will get better soon.”



Reacting to the story, 32-year-old Omar Hussain from Jeddah told Saudi Gazette he was very shocked to see a Saudi family living in a park.



“It is so sad to see nationals living in such conditions in their country, which is considered one of the richest in the world,” he said.



He hoped the government would do something to solve the problem of housing for many Saudis before it got worse.



Saeed Al-Omari, a 37-year-old who works in the private sector, said the Saudi government should be serious about fixing this problem or at least ease the “pain and suffering” of people.



“The problem is becoming enormous and we need immediate solutions. “The story of the family living in a park in Madinah is just one of many similar situations that Saudis find themselves in.



“There is no need for a delay in extending loans and I hope that the Ministry of Finance will ease financing regulations, enabling every citizen to get the loan they need.”



He said the housing crisis was due to delays in mortgage payments, complicated banking regulations and increasing land prices.