Housing Inflation Record Broken
Housing Inflation Record Broken. According to Iran Gate, after the pressure from the U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA was relieved on Iran’s economy, many supporters of the current government blamed Hassan Rouhani and the twelfth cabinet for the sharp increase in prices. They claimed that the reason for the housing price surge was tying the country’s economy to the JCPOA.
What Happened to Raisi’s Promise of 4 Million Houses?
But now that the Rouhani administration handed over the reins to Ebrahim Raisi and his team 21 months ago, the thirteenth government claims it has not tied the economy to the JCPOA. However, according to a recent report on housing inflation, housing inflation has broken a record of more than 30 months. Given the government’s claim to prevent the economy from being linked to the JCPOA, the question arises: what is the reason for the unprecedented rise in housing prices?
According to a report published yesterday, the monthly housing inflation in January 2023 reached 98%. This figure, which shows an increase of about 6% compared to the previous month, December 2022, is unprecedented in the past 30 months. In other words, housing inflation has not increased to this extent since August 2020, and the Raisi administration has managed to set a new record in undermining the foundations of people’s livelihoods.
Marriage from You, House from Us
During the 2020 presidential election campaign, Ebrahim Raisi chose housing and the high cost of homes as one of the main themes of his slogans. Everyone remembers that during the televised debates, Ebrahim Raisi looked at the cameras and told the youth, ‘Marriage from you, house from us.’ He then unveiled a plan known as the 4 Million Housing Plan in 4 Years.
According to what Raisi claimed at that time, the thirteenth government promised the construction of at least one million houses each year. In other words, Ebrahim Raisi explicitly promised the construction of 4 million houses during the four years of his thirteenth presidency. Now, 21 months into Raisi’s government, there is still no news of this plan being implemented. In some cases, officials of the thirteenth government have tried to reinterpret the president’s promise differently.
In this regard, Mohammad Mokhber stated that the president did not mean that the government would build one million houses each year, but rather that the people themselves would do this. Mokhber’s statement comes despite Raisi’s specific promise to build one million housing units annually. Previously, Rostam Ghasemi, the former Minister of Roads and Urban Development of the thirteenth government who recently passed away, also reported a lack of cooperation from various institutions in allocating the necessary land for this plan.
Bazrpash Performs Miracles
After Rostam Ghasemi’s passing, Ebrahim Raisi introduced a candidate for the Ministry of Roads and Urban Development to the parliament, which was accompanied by much controversy. Nevertheless, Mehrdad Bazrpash managed to gain the confidence vote from the revolutionary parliament and continues to serve as the Minister of Roads and Urban Development in the thirteenth government.
This is despite the fact that Bazrpash’s record, considered one of the significant figures in the hardliner and conservative camp, leaves much to be discussed. However, Raisi decided to entrust the implementation of his most important electoral promise to Bazrpash. Now, more than two months have passed since his appointment as minister, yet there is still no news about advancing the four million housing plan in four years.
Not Even Hope for the Plan’s Initiation
Despite all the criticisms economists and experts had of his performance in this ministry, Rostam Ghasemi had at least taken steps towards implementing this plan, including efforts to oblige governing bodies to provide land for housing construction. However, Mehrdad Bazrpash has not even made a move in this area and has so far been one of the quietest ministers of the government.
Experts, recalling his controversial record, believe that the Ebrahim Raisi government will not be able to bring the four million housing plan in four years even to the initial stages of execution by the end of its presidency. The appointment of a figure like Bazrpash has also extinguished the slightest hopes for the implementation of this controversial plan. Now, the question arises whether Raisi will be accountable for not fulfilling his most important economic promise or whether he will once again evade responsibility with deflection and distortion of facts.