By The Pulseline News Desk
The government is preparing to allocate funding through the 2027 Budget to revive thousands of unfinished housing projects left incomplete across Sri Lanka, with Housing, Construction and Water Supply Minister Susil Ranasinghe saying the long-delayed developments will be reviewed under a new national assessment.
Addressing Parliament’s Advisory Committee on the Ministry, Ranasinghe said a five-member committee, co-chaired by two former Ministry Secretaries, has already begun identifying stalled housing schemes and assessing which projects can be completed and handed over to beneficiaries.
The review comes as the government seeks to address the backlog of housing projects launched under previous administrations but left unfinished after loan facilities and donor funding failed to materialise in full.
According to the Minister, nearly 5,000 housing projects remain incomplete nationwide, leaving thousands of intended beneficiaries without homes despite substantial public investment.
He said the committee is currently collecting data, inspecting the condition of partially completed houses and preparing recommendations on the most viable projects for completion. Final decisions on funding and implementation will be taken after the committee submits its report.
Ranasinghe also announced that the government intends to include provisions in the 2027 Budget to assist families whose homes remain only partially built, with around 2,000 families expected to receive financial support to complete construction next year.
The initiative signals a shift towards completing existing projects rather than launching new housing schemes, as the government attempts to maximise the use of already invested public funds while addressing long-standing housing shortages.
During the Advisory Committee meeting, members of parliament (MPs) also highlighted housing and drinking water issues affecting their constituencies, calling for faster intervention in stalled projects and underserved communities.
Responding to those concerns, the Ministry agreed to convene a special meeting involving all relevant stakeholders to examine broader housing challenges, including programmes targeting low-income families in the Colombo District.
The proposed Budget allocation is expected to form part of the government’s wider infrastructure and social welfare agenda for 2027, with housing identified as one of the priority sectors requiring renewed investment after years of funding constraints and project delays.
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