Morocco's ambitious "Cities Without Slums" program, launched in 2004, aimed to eradicate informal housing across the country. While officials have declared many cities slum-free, recent reports and local observations suggest that slums still exist, particularly in major urban centers like Casablanca and Tangier.
According to a 2023 report by the Moroccan government, the program has relocated over 300,000 households to decent housing. However, a 2024 study by the World Bank noted that informal settlements continue to grow in peri-urban areas, driven by rural-to-urban migration and housing affordability issues.
In Casablanca, neighborhoods like Kariane and Sidi Moumen still contain pockets of precarious housing, despite official declarations of being slum-free. Local NGOs and journalists have documented these areas, highlighting the gap between official statistics and on-the-ground reality.
The government has acknowledged the challenges and launched a new phase of the program in 2025, focusing on upgrading existing informal areas rather than just relocation. This new approach aims to provide basic services and legal tenure to residents, but experts remain cautious about the pace and effectiveness of these measures.
