Ammon News -

Some 16 underprivileged families in Salt and Deir Alla district in Balqa governorate Saturday received new homes as part of the royal initiative to provide decent housing to poverty-stricken families.

Royal Court Chief, head of the committee to follow up on the implementation of His Majesty King Abdullah's initiatives, Yousef Issawi, handed over the keys of the new residencies to the beneficiary families in a ceremony attended by Minister of Public Works and Housing Yahya Kasbi, Social Development Minister Ayman Mifleh, and the governor of Balqa.

The Royal Court Chief toured the housing units, which were constructed according to the highest technical specifications, furnished and supplied with various household items and electrical appliances.

The housing initiative, which was launched under a royal directive in 2005 and includes all the kingdom's regions, aims to secure a decent and stable life for the beneficiary families, who are the neediest and who are selected according to fair and transparent criteria adopted by the Ministry of Social Development.

In the Malaha area of Deir Alla in the Jordan Valley, the Royal Court Chief and the ministers took a first-hand look at a project to build 400 housing units in its first phase, and 370 other homes in the second phase, and inspected work to build roads, sidewalks, a sewage system, a water treatment unit and other infrastructure.

Issawi told Petra that His Majesty the King attaches utmost attention and care to the citizens, and is keen to check on their needs through field visits and meetings as he issues directives to improve their living conditions and provide them with quality services in the various regions of the Kingdom.