KUALA LUMPUR: The first of two homeless shelters in the city will be completed by the end of this year, said Mayor Datuk Seri Ahmad Phesal Talib.
The mayor speaks after meeting Kuala Lumpur MPs said that the 12,000 sqft shelter is currently being built by Malaysian Resources Corporation Berhad as part of their corporate social responsibility initiatives.
The second shelter, according to Phesal, is in the middle of land acquisition where it used to be a hotel.
Phesal said that there was a delay in the process as City Hall and the land owner have yet to agree on the terms of the sales and purchase agreement.
In the meantime, Phesal revealed that City Hall has built three cabins in Medan Tuanku for the homeless to bathe, rest and serves as food distribution point.
He said that this was an interim measure while the two permanent shelters were being built.
Phesal also said that City Hall was looking into starting a fund to build affordable housing in the city.
He said that MPs on both sides of the political divide had raised concerns on the lack of affordable housing in the city.
Last July, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak announced that two shelters will be built for the city's homeless.
City Hall estimates that there are currently close to 2,000 homeless in Kuala Lumpur.