In a sweeping new housing initiative, the government has announced plans to construct 75,000 rental units nationwide, with 6,000 set to be delivered to young couples within the coming months.
According to Minister of Transport and Urban Development Farzaneh Sadegh, the first batch of rental housing will target newlyweds with less than five years of marriage, with keys expected to be handed over within one to two months. The move comes as part of a broader strategy to ease housing pressures on lower-income families.
"The rental scheme—offering four-to-five-year leases below market rates—has been neglected for over two decades. It's time to revive it," Sadegh stated. The program initially aimed for 10,000 units, but resource constraints linked to war and reconstruction efforts reduced the first phase to 6,000.
Beyond rentals, the government is also pressing ahead with worker housing, launching construction on 94,000 units with support from the labor and industry ministries. An additional 50,000 units are planned for underprivileged families through the Islamic Revolution Housing Foundation.
On the land allocation front, Sadegh revealed that 216,000 plots have been distributed under the Population Youth Plan—over 80% in the past two years—with priority given to families with three children. Another 300,000 rural housing plots are expected to enter the allocation pipeline soon.
"We are delegating authority to governors to fast-track land distribution," Sadegh said, adding that remaining Mehr housing units, numbering around 60,000, are also being addressed, with those surpassing 75% completion prioritized.
The minister acknowledged the challenges ahead but expressed confidence that the combined measures—rental housing, worker homes, land grants, and rural development—would offer meaningful relief. "People shouldn't have to wait years under rental pressure. This is about giving them options."
