Affordable housing coming up for the poor

SARAWAK government aims to build 2,391 affordable housing units under the Housing Development Corporation’s (HDC) Rumah Spektra Permata initiative to help low-income families.

The programme involving units priced between RM90,000 and RM160,000 was introduced under the 12th Malaysia Plan (2021-2025).

Sarawak Deputy Public Health and Housing Minister Michael Tiang said the government would work with Mutiara Mortgage & Credit Sdn Bhd to help facilitate loans for housebuyers.

Through the scheme, managed by Mutiara Mortgage & Credit, a subsidiary of HDC, the government will provide a maximum deposit of RM10,000 or 10% of the house value to eligible recipients.

“The state government is committed to providing affordable homes for the lower-income group (B40) and the middle-income group (M40) through the village expansion scheme (SPK) as well as the Affordable Housing Scheme (RMM) that has been implemented in Darul Hans (Kuching), Kampung Kapit Batu (Kapit) and Kampung Datu Baru (Sibu),” said Tiang at the Sarawak Housing and Real Estate Developers Association (Sheda) Sibu roadshow.

He added that HDC introduced the Sarawak Housing Rental Assistance Scheme (SRAS) last year, which was the first and only initiative of its kind in the country.

The scheme is a rental assistance of RM200 per month for 36 months and is open to tenants residing in Kuching, Sibu, Bintulu and Miri.

Applicants must be Sarawakians aged 21 years and above with a household monthly income not exceeding RM2,131, as well as married or a single parent with at least one child living with the applicant.

Priority will be given to persons with disabilities and the rented premises must not belong to immediate family members of the applicants.

“Earlier this year, the Sarawak government launched the Housing Deposit Assistance Scheme (HDAS) involving a RM10mil allocation to help low-income and middle-income earners, especially youths, to own a house,” said Tiang.

“Forking out the deposit or downpayment is the hardest threshold to cross for youths or a young family who wish to have their own home.

“This initiative also benefits stakeholders such as the housing developers and hardware suppliers,” he said.