A 24-year-old architect has launched a new campaign, entitled "we want a 35-square-meter apartment" to promote the idea recently proposed by the government, aimed at reducing the shortage of housing.
Several days ago, the CEO of Housing and Development Bank, Fathi El-Sebai declared that the Egyptian youth should accept to live in 35-square-meter flats, which is a much better option than living one small apartment with the entire family, he believes.
The statement has stirred controversy among young Egyptians, many of whom concluded that "35 square meters is smaller than a spot on a cemetery." On the other hand, Sebai also gained supporters.
"We do accept the idea, especially that the concept is not new, studio apartments are already common in Sharm El-Sheikh and abroad, so why not?" said Norman, the author of the campaign.
"The youth are suffering from a crisis in housing, and from the severe shortage of affordable options, so most of them resort to renting flats for at least LE900 every month. Why don't they spend the same money in instalments and get their own studios?" he added.
Judging by the popularity of the campaign's Facebook page, the idea has been welcomed by the youth: in only three days it has reached more than 3,000 fans, many of whom submitted possible designs and flat arrangement proposals.
"Not only Facebook fans, but also many of my friends liked the idea, and currently we are planning to expand the campaign with offline promotion to reach a higher number of supporters," Norman said.
Norman urged the government to implement the project, suggesting that the studious could be situated in any of Cairo's new districts, such as the Fifth Settlement and 6th of October City.
Also, the idea could help young Egyptians with one of their biggest challenges: marriage. However, Norman expects that the campaign could face criticism from the conservative sectors of the society. "Most Egyptian families put hard conditions in front of any young man who proposes to their daughter, many demand at least 130 square meters in a luxurious neighborhood," he said.
