According to the state-run ILNA news agency, Abdolreza Golpayegani, the CEO of the “Urban Regeneration” company, emphasized that approximately 19 million people live in unsafe and unstable buildings. These structures cover an area of about 10,000 hectares.
Golpayegani stated that these buildings are primarily located in deteriorated urban areas and informal settlements.
According to him, these housing units lack stable structures, and even an earthquake of 4 to 5 magnitude could cause their collapse.
Golpayegani explained that one of the criteria for classifying a building as deteriorated is the absence of a visible structure. According to the Statistical Center of Iran, if a building’s skeleton is visible, it is considered safe. However, many of these unstable buildings entirely lack any resistant framework.
This urban planning expert pointed to the failure of renovation policies and stated: “According to the law, 100,000 units in deteriorated areas should be renovated annually, but so far, less than 2% of the allocated financial aid has been distributed.”
He also highlighted the widespread presence of deteriorated buildings, saying: “Currently, 5.7 million housing units are located in these areas, of which 2.7 million urgently require renovation and reinforcement.”
Golpayegani considered the reorganization of these areas a key priority for the government and emphasized that urban infrastructure in deteriorated areas must reach the standard levels of other city districts.
Despite the Iranian regime’s financial constraints and delays in implementing renovation policies, the risks of earthquakes and other disasters remain serious for millions in the country. Ebrahim Raisi, the former Iranian regime president who died in a helicopter crash, had promised to build one million new housing units annually—a promise that was never fulfilled.
