Out of 635 families residing in informal settlements around Suva that have been issued with eviction notices since 2024, 11 will soon be ending their days as informal settlers after having won a land lot each from the Housing Authority (HA).
The 11 families were winners in a barrel draw held last Monday for the Ministry of Housing’s First Home Ownership Initiative (FHOI) Category 1 Tier 1 Assistance Programme, a partnership the ministry has with HA.
“This marks a historic milestone, as it is the first time a barrel draw has been conducted specifically for qualified applicants from informal settlements affected by eviction notices,” HA said in a statement last Friday.
“In December 2024, the Ministry of Housing received reports of evictions affecting households residing in the Veidogo, Nabua Muslim League and Kilikali informal settlements in Suva.
“These settlements, situated on freehold land, had experienced insecurity of tenure following notices issued by landowners.
“In response, the ministry conducted socio-economic surveys to determine the number of affected households, assess their financial capabilities and identify relocation preferences. The surveys confirmed that 148 households in Veidogo, 415 households in Nabua Muslim League and 72 households in Kilikali had been issued eviction notices.”
Permanent secretary for Housing Manasa Lesuma said the survey also revealed that while many affected households preferred relocation to greenfield sites under the Ministry’s Informal Settlement Upgrade Programme (ISUP), there was also a category of families with the financial capacity to own homes but who had not previously been given the opportunity to do so.
“As a result, the Government revised the First Home Ownership Initiative Grant Policy under the 2025/2026 National Budget, leading to the development of the Informal Settlement Evicted Household’s Relocation and Resettlement Policy, which was endorsed by Cabinet on 19 May 2026,” Mr Lesuma said.
“Under the revised framework, Category 1 Tier 1 assistance was introduced to support households earning a combined annual income of up to $30,000.
Under Category 1 Tier 1 assistance:
• A grant of $40,000 is provided for first home construction; and
• A grant of $30,000 is provided for first home purchase.
“Through the partnership between the Ministry of Housing and Housing Authority, 15 residential lots were made available under the initiative, comprising six lots in Mokosoi and nine lots in Wainibuku,” Mr Lesuma said.
“Following consultations with affected households over a three-week period, the Ministry received 111 applications, comprising 93 from Nabua Muslim League, 10 from Kilikali and eight from Veidogo.
“With the support of the Housing Authority, all applications were assessed for home loan eligibility.
“A committee made up of staff of Housing Authority with oversight provided by officers of the Ministry of Housing, found that 56 applicants were eligible, comprising 44 from Nabua, six from Kilikali and six from Veidogo.”
Following the screening, selection and objections processes, 29 applicants met the necessary loan eligibility requirements and submitted all required documentation, according to HA.
“Of these, 27 qualified for the nine lots available in Wainibuku while two families qualified for the six available lots in Mokosoi.”
HA chief executive officer Isikeli Navuda said the initiative was a significant step towards providing secure and affordable homeownership opportunities to families previously affected by displacement.
The successful applicants selected through the barrel draw will now proceed to the next phase of the homeownership process.
The draw was conducted in the presence of the permanent secretary for Housing, the Director of Housing and representatives from the Ministry of Housing, the Fiji Police Force and Housing Authority.
