KUALA LUMPUR: The government will continue to strive in providing affordable housing to all.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said to date the government has constructed 83,750 units of affordable homes under the People’s Housing Programme (PPR). Another 25,000 units are currently being constructed, expected to be complete by 2020, with the overall cost amounting to RM6 billion.
He said the government constructed the PPR homes for the people, even though it was highly subsidised.
Najib cited the example of PPR Sri Aman in Jinjang, here, which is being sold at RM35,000, even though its actual cost was at RM150,000.
“If you looked at the market value for PPR Sri Aman, it is about RM200,000 per unit, however the government is offering it at about RM35,000 to the rakyat,” he said.
“In truth, it adds to the asset value of the people, as its value will increase in the future, in fact it will an inheritance to the family,” he said at the opening and handing over of key of the PPR Sri Aman project in Jinjang today.
The PPR Sri Aman project, will comprise 1,600 units, with a floor space of 700 square metres. It will be the first such project to include a non muslim funeral parlour as part of its facilities.
At the event Najib also launched the 1Malaysia Transit Home Programme. A total of 2,010 house units will be built under the scheme and is expected to be completed by 2020.
He adds the project was dedicated to young working adults as well as newly married couples and will include a 'rent to own' scheme for a maximum period of five years.
"Through this scheme the young adults would be able to save and buy their own homes at the end of the rental term. They would be paying RM500 as rent but RM250 from it would be kept as savings.
"So at the end of the agreement they will have RM15000 to pay as deposit for a new house," he said.
He said scheme will be implemented in Kepong with 1,244 house units and in Batu with 766 units. It will comprise a 400 square metre studio type unit as well as 550 square metre couple unit, with both unit types two rooms respectively.
Najib said the transit scheme is a new business model a cooperation between public and private sector.
"Using the cross subsidy unit, the land would include another 3,824 affordable house units would be sold to those who can afford, apart from the 2,010 transit units being rented out," he said.
Present were former Prime Minister, Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government Minister Tan Sri Noh Omar, Federal Territories Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor and Women Entrepreneurship and Professional Development adviser, Tan Sri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil.