SOME tenants have been living in the Public Rental Board’s (PRB) flats at Mead Road in Nabua, Suva for over 50 years.
PRB general manager Timoci Naleba said the board understood the strong attachment tenants had to the site, having lived there for many years.
“Unfortunately, they have to vacate the building for their own safety,” Mr Naleba said.
“At present, approximately 147 families are still residing in the Mead Road PRB flats.
“The estate originally housed about 144–147 households across its blocks, and nearly all of these tenants remain on site while relocation efforts are in progress.
“In other words, only a very small number of families have left so far, and the vast majority of residents are still living in the flats as of this update.
“PRB understands that these families have deep ties to their homes, and we emphasise that we are working diligently to relocate everyone safely given the urgent structural risks.”
Minister for Housing and Local Government Maciu Nalumisa reminded tenants not to take ownership of the property for granted.
“So, if you’re living in a flat at some of these Public Rental Board estates, it’s not your property,” Mr Nalumisa said.
“What we encourage now is for people to look somewhere else, but at the same time, we also coming up with some other options at the PRB, where while you stay, you can also rent to own, where you can later acquire some of the flats that you are living or staying in right now.
“So these are some of the options that we have discussed with PRB.
“These are some of the arrangements to promote home ownership in PRB estates.”
Naleba: Residents given month-end to vacate
THE 147 families residing in the Public Rental Board’s (PRB) flats at Mead Road in Nabua, Suva have been given until the end of this month to relocate, after which power and water services will be disconnected.
PRB board general manager Timoci Naleba said the move was aimed at preventing tenants from being exposed to unnecessary risks.
“In any form of catastrophic event, we are shutting the power and water down,” Mr Naleba said.
“In case, they still there in the night, and the building falls and there is electricity and water, the survivor might touch a live wire, or they could even drown because of water if they are stuck in the property.
“All first responders when they’ll run in, they’ll touch everything.
“So just to protect them, we are cutting off electricity and water because the building can fall anytime, even during the night.”
He said the tenants had been informed of this through their Viber group.
“There is a Viber group for all estates, and the tenants of Mead Road estate have been advised that water and electricity will be cut of at the end of the month.
“At least we have given them another month, but it is a bit risky for us to continue to keep them there.”
Minister for Housing and Local Government Maciu Nalumisa echoed similar sentiments.
“They (PRB) have been advised that those structures are structurally unsafe, so it’s their responsibility to discuss with the tenants, and tenants need to understand this, and if they have been given time, they should have looked for options to relocate themselves,” Mr Nalumisa said.
“So it’s about time that they start looking for options. So, they (PRB) must have gone through the process.
“I think, what they are trying to do now is for those that are still living there, time has come for them to move.
“If they continue to live there and if something happens tomorrow, who will be responsible for them.
“But as it is, the liability rests with Public Rental Board. If the structure collapses tomorrow, the liability still rests with the board.
“It’s something that people there need to seriously consider.”
Flats structurally unsafe for tenants, says Nalumisa
THE PRB Mead Road flats in Nabua, Suva are more than 50 years old and are structurally unsafe for tenants to continue living in, says Minister for Housing and Local Government Maciu Nalumisa.
Commenting on the notices issued to tenants to vacate the flats, Mr Nalumisa said residents had been informed of the reasons for the decision and the need to relocate for their safety.
“One of the things that we need to understand is that all the blocks that are standing there in Mead Road are more than 50 years old,” Mr Nalumisa said.
“According to the survey that have been done by the engineers of Public Rental Board, the buildings have been certified to be structurally unsafe.
“So that means any day, whether today or tomorrow, something can happen to the structures.”
He said the PRB had no option but to require tenants to vacate the buildings to ensure their safety.
“So that’s why they’ve taken that stance to start having consultations with the tenants.
They should have written notices to the tenants before they start evicting them.
“And hopefully, they must have gone through all these processes.
“They have to write to the tenants that this was going to happen.
10/01/2026, 17:21 The Fiji Times
“And if some tenants are still not willing to move, then something needs to be done, because if something happens today or tomorrow, that will be the responsibility of the board.”
He said responsibility for ensuring the structural safety of the buildings, and the welfare of tenants, currently rested with the board.
“So, that’s something that need to be understood by the tenants.”
Mr Nalumisa said engineers had certified that the buildings were structurally unsafe, and as the landlord, the PRB was required to act.
“As the owner, you must take some steps to mitigate that. Either you create another one, or you need to advise your tenants that they have to relocate.
“I’ve asked PRB to give them at least 12 months to look for relocation options, because I’m told that some have already relocated.
“Some have relocated to the vacant flats in other PRP states, some even have gone to Housing Authority.”
