Jasser Al-Jasser The General Court in Dammam has sent a Saudi widow to prison because she could not pay her house rent. As a result, her three daughters may be in danger because she is their sole provider and protector. If tenants who fail to pay rent to landlords are going to be imprisoned, then we must create “family sections” in our jails to house dependents who otherwise may end up homeless in the streets if they do not have relatives who will take care of them. If the imprisoned tenant is a government employee he will lose his job. In this case he will lose both his home and his employment. The only one to benefit is the landlord who will either get his house rent or have the tenant evicted and locked away in prison. The court has every right to protect the landlord, but who will protect the tenant who has to pay the rent, even if he is not able to, or else go to jail. Does the tenant delay paying the rent out of obstinacy or does he do it because he is unable to especially if he is a resident of a major city in the Kingdom? How can anyone balance his financial commitments and obligations when ever-increasing house rents are left to the whim of landlords? If all laws favor the owners of buildings, who will defend the occupants of these buildings? How can a citizen find suitable accommodation when all doors are closed in his face and when government real estate projects are not implemented for his benefit? Statistics about Saudis who own their own homes are contradictory particularly in the absence of independent statistical departments. However, there is no doubt that the percentage of people in Saudi Arabia who own their own home is one of the lowest in the world. The most optimistic figures say about 50 percent of Saudis own their own home, although this is more common in villages and hamlets because the land prices in these areas are reasonable. The statistics, however, do not take into account the number of single or married Saudis who live in the homes of their fathers or mothers simply because they are unable to afford rented accommodation. Among all of these contradictory statistics, one figure has remained stable since 2007, which is that only 40 percent of Saudi retirees from the government and private sectors own their own home.This means that the majority of the retirees have worked hard for years and years without being able to realize their dream of owning a home. This is because of the high price of land, the absence of financing programs and the delay in the execution of government housing projects. The monthly income of a government employee, whether military or civil, is stable. This income will remain the same whether the employee lives in a remote area where rent does not exceed a few thousand riyals or in a big city like Riyadh where rents are soaring. Saudi tenants have endured high rent waiting for the government to give them houses or to at least pay them a housing allowance. However, before this dream has been realized, it appears that prisons are now waiting for them. A prison is not always an evil place. At least it will spare tenants the agony of looking for a house or paying rent. However, if Saudis who fail to pay their rent are going to be sent to prison, then these institutions should be redesigned so that they can accommodate all family members together under the same roof. Moreover, prison terms should only be served in summer which is the time of school vacation so as not to prevent children from receiving an education. The accommodation capacity of the prisons will also have to be increased because of the large number of lawsuits against tenants in the courts which will now most likely result in prison sentences. The current housing situation in the Kingdom is killing the middle class. If this class dies, the demographic balance will tilt and Saudi society will lose many of the values which give it its ethical identity.
