"BUILDING LIVES" Return Visit to Affordable Housing Project in Algeria

Home with Love

CARIO, Aug. 12, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- In the new town of Sidi Abdellah in Algiers, there are some red-brown and beige buildings of its Mahelma community. In the evening, some residents walk leisurely on the paths, and groups of children happily playing near the slides. Many young people run on the football field, enjoying the game. This is the apartment complex of the Sidi Abdellah government subsidized housing built by China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC). Since it was completed and put into use in 2019, it has helped over 10,000 locals realize their dream of living comfortably, and effectively improved local housing conditions.

BENSSADA Loubna's family is a beneficiary of the project. In the past, they huddled together in a shabby community in Ain Benian. Today, owning a home of their own is a source of happiness for them. "In 2019, my family and I moved into the new apartment built by the Chinese. Before that I always worried simply because we didn't have a stable place to live."

"When I opened the door of my new home, the feeling was indescribable, like starting a new life." Loubna said excitedly. Project manager Xuan Shijie said what impressed him most were the smiling faces of those who had moved in and their heartfelt greetings to the builders.

CSCEC borrowed the concept of the Barcelona Superblock to make the inner traffic more people-friendly. The privacy of the residents is also well protected. "This is not a luxury project. But we did spend a lot of efforts in materials and the details of the design and facilities to promote residents' happiness," Xuan said.

Affordable housing also allows more residents to join CSCEC. Omar, a local electromechanical engineer, is one of them. He's worked on the project site for 10 years. He said, "I am so proud to be part of the company and to help improve my compatriots' living conditions." According to statistics, the company has provided job opportunities for more than 27,000 local people.

CSCEC has been involved in the construction in Algeria for 40 years. To date, CSCEC has built over 170,000 dwellings in Algeria, covering an area of about 17 million square meters. It has solved housing problems for nearly 1 million people and in so doing made important contributions to people's livelihoods in Algeria.