Housing and the bachelor imbalance

Gulf News helpfully has provided an article this morning to complement my previous post about innovative housing solutions. It covers the restrictions that governments in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Sharjah place on bachelors living in residential areas. Families about the character of neighborhoods changing when villas originally intended for families are rented by groups of bachelors.

A few quotes:

Amer Abdul Jalil Al Fahim, chairman of Al Qudra Real Estate, estimated that singles account for 50 per cent of residents in the emirate. "They are in dire need for houses that meet their needs. They must be integrated in the social fabric of the city, as they are important in managing businesses."

Al Fahim said that singles should not be segregated along social or professional lines. "Their houses must be near their places of work," he said, adding that labour cities may accommodate workers of construction companies but may not be suitable for other employees who run most of the businesses inside the city.
...
Bachelors are facing similar housing problems in Sharjah and Dubai as they have been asked to stay away from residential areas. In Dubai, the Dubai Municipality had made it clear that bachelors can reside in flats but not in villas while in Sharjah they are allowed in designated areas like the Sharjah Industrial Area and Al Saja'a.

One of the main reasons for the municipalities to undertake the campaign is to provide a safe and secure environment for families. "It does not matter what the profession is, but bachelors are not allowed to live in residential areas in Sharjah," said a Sharjah municipality spokesperson.

As the article points out, most 'bachelors' have families leaving apart from them in their home countries. They have a name: Sort of Bachelors. The Times refers to these sorts as LATtes (living apart together).