KUALA LUMPUR: Suitable sites for council homes in the capital city will be identified to address the urgent housing needs for those in the lower income group.
Federal Territories Minister Tan Sri Annuar Musa said Kuala Lumpur City Hall was currently preparing a policy for council homes by reviewing current applications, among others.
"There is a need to provide more houses, not only houses for purchase but also rental homes at an affordable rate.
"I have instructed DBKL to review its housing policy. This includes identifying suitable sites for council homes that can be rented out on a temporary (basis), for example, five years before they can afford to buy their own house," he said in his wrap-up speech on debate on the Royal address at the Dewan Rakyat today.
He said as of June 30, a total of 35,141 registered and active public housing applications under e-perumahan were recorded, with 1,080 being approved and under review with the Inland Revenue Board.
Annuar said the ministry has targeted 80,000 affordable houses in the three federal territories by 2028.
He said Development Order (DO) for 57,799 affordable houses in 93 projects have been issued as of June, comprising 54,111 units in Kuala Lumpur, 2,908 and 780 in Labuan.
Of the total, he said 24 per cent or 15,431 houses in 26 projects have been completed, while construction works were ongoing for 27,332 in 37 projects.
"Several projects were delayed due to decisions made by the previous administration which ended them prematurely," he said.