“The plan would be financed by the government and public donations,” Hadi Derafshi also said on the sidelines of the inauguration ceremony for the new HFIR director in Khuzestan Province, Mehr News Agency reported.
According to the plan, the bulk of houses will be built in the countryside and small towns, though “there is no obstacle to their construction in big cities”.
Noting that two million rural houses are in need of renovation, Derafshi said based on the scheme, at least 200,000 of them should be renovated annually, Financial Tribune reported.
The official also referred to the national initiative for the renovation of old rural texture, which kicked off 12 years ago, and said 1.6 million residential units in these areas have been built and 1.8 million are under construction.
“The ceiling of loans for refurbishing the houses in rural areas has increased with an interest rate of just 4%,” he said.
Derafshi also announced that an agreement has been reached between the Ministry of Agricultural Jihad and HFIR for rural empowerment.