Cambodia's Ministry of Land Management is in the initial phase of a project to build affordable housing for the Kingdom’s low-income population.

At a press conference yesterday, general director of the ministry’s Housing Department Socheat Khem Ro said the construction project was currently in a capacity-building stage.

“This project is for migrants and short-term job seekers,” Khem Ro said yesterday. “This will enable them to rent and buy at a reasonable price.”

In a country where 18 per cent of citizens fall below the poverty line – defined by the government as monthly earnings of less than $120 – the project is necessary, he added. However, the number of housing units, their locations and other details are not yet established.

Khem Ro said the department will work toward generating funds for construction and establishing criteria for who is eligible for the housing before implementation.

While Cambodia has recently attracted a large amount of real estate investors, these have generally been for high-cost housing, Land Management Minister Im Chun Lim said.