Jakarta Governor Pramono targets over 1,000 ‘rusunawa' units by next year to ease housing backlog
The initiative was announced by Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung last week during the launch of Rusunawa Jagakarsa in South Jakarta, targeting low-income residents earning between Rp 2.6 million (US$157) to Rp 7.4 million per month.
The complex, made up of three 16-story towers, contains 723 apartment units, each measuring 36 square meters and featuring two bedrooms, a living room, a bathroom, and a balcony.
Monthly rents will range from Rp 865,000 to Rp 1.8 million, based on resident's income levels, as stipulated in Jakarta Regulation No. 1/2024 on regional taxes and retributions.
The Rp 382 billion project also includes various supporting facilities, such as a sports field, clinic, playground, library and an early childhood education center (PAUD).
'We will build [new towers at Rusunawa] Rorotan and Padat Karya and revitalise Rusunawa Marunda,' Pramono said, acknowledging the city's responsibility to provide affordable and decent housing for its citizens.
According to the Jakarta Housing Agency, the city is currently facing a housing occupancy backlog affecting at least 288,393 families, while the homeownership backlog has reached approximately 1.86 million families.
Meanwhile, a 2024 report by Statistics Indonesia (BPS) revealed that only 54 percent of Jakarta households own their homes, marking the lowest homeownership rate in the country, which is well below the national average of nearly 85 percent.
Another 2024 BPS report showed that, amid rising home prices, an increasing number of Jakartans are choosing to rent, making the capital the province with the highest proportion of households living in rental housing.
Chico Hakim, special staffer to Governor Pramono, told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday (May 13) that the city plans to provide 1,153 additional apartment units by next year, comprising 865 new units to be built at Rusunawa Padat Karya and Rorotan IX, and 288 units to be revitalised at the currently idle Rusunawa Marunda.
All of them are located in Cilincing, North Jakarta, which has the highest number of poor households among the municipality's six districts.
'[The rusunawa programme] targets Jakarta residents with a monthly income below Rp 8 million,' Chico said, while also noting ongoing issues with rent arrears.
According to the city's Public Housing Agency, outstanding rent payments have accumulated to Rp 95.5 billion.
To prevent similar issues in the future, Chico said the city administration plans to implement stricter documentation and eligibility checks during the application process.
Yayat Supriatna, an urban planner from Trisakti University, argued that the problem also stems from the remote locations of many rusunawa, making it difficult for residents to maintain stable incomes and afford rent.
'What Jakarta needs are integrated housing complexes. Building more rusunawa is essential, but they must be linked to economic activities,' Yayat said on Tuesday.
Given that rusunawa residents are typically low-income individuals, Yayat added that the government should also offer them social assistance programmes and employment opportunities.
'This way, the rusunawa programme can not only provide affordable housing, but also help improve residents' livelihoods,' he said, adding that such improvements would attract more residents and change the perception of rusunawa from being seen as a last resort.
Mohammed Ali Berawi, a civil engineering professor at the University of Indonesia, echoed similar concerns.
While supporting the need for integration, he emphasised the importance of moving away from negative stereotypes.
'[In] the design of rusunawa, [...] crucial–mobility, accessibility and available facilities all play a role,' Ali said. - The Jakarta Post/ANN
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
3 hours ago
- The Star
US drops sanctions on Myanmar junta allies after Trump praise
A trishaw driver rides as his passenger uses an umbrella to cover themselves from the rain in Yangon on July 21, 2025. -- Photo by Sai Aung MAIN / AFP YANGON (AFP): The United States has lifted sanctions on several allies of Myanmar's ruling general and their military-linked firms, a US Treasury notice shows, after the junta chief sent a glowing letter of praise to President Donald Trump. Junta chief Min Aung Hlaing seized power in a 2021 coup, deposing the civilian government and sparking a civil war that has killed thousands, leaving 3.5 million displaced and half the nation in poverty. Two weeks ago, the top general sent a letter to Trump, responding to his threat of tariffs by lauding his presidency with praise, including for shutting down US-funded media outlets covering the conflict. A US Treasury notice on Thursday said sanctions were dropped against KT Services and Logistics, the Myanmar Chemical and Machinery Company, and Suntac Technologies -- as well as their managers. In a statement, a US Treasury Department spokesperson denied there was an "ulterior motive" in the move, although the notice did not provide a reason for the removals. "Anyone suggesting these sanctions were lifted for an ulterior motive is uninformed and peddling a conspiracy theory driven by hatred for President Trump," said the spokesperson, on condition of anonymity. They added that individuals were "regularly added and removed" from the sanctions list "in the ordinary course of business." KT Services and Logistics and its CEO Jonathan Myo Kyaw Thaung were described as junta "cronies" when they were sanctioned in 2022 for leasing Yangon's port from a military firm for $3 million a year. The Myanmar Chemical and Machinery Company and its owner, Aung Hlaing Oo, and Suntac Technologies owner Sit Taing Aung were sanctioned later that year for producing arms, including tanks and mortars. A third Myanmar national, Tin Latt Min -- who the US previously described as owning "various companies that are closely related to the regime" -- was also removed from the sanctions list. Trump sent a letter to junta chief Min Aung Hlaing earlier this month, one among a raft of missives despatched to foreign leaders during his global tariff blitz. The letter -- believed to be Washington's first public recognition of the junta's rule since the coup -- threatened Myanmar with a 40 percent levy unless a trade deal was struck. Min Aung Hlaing responded with a multi-page letter expressing his "sincere appreciation" for Trump's message and praising his "strong leadership". - AFP
The Star
6 hours ago
- The Star
Oil prices ease to three-week low at weekend as negative economic news offsets trade optimism
JAKARTA/SINGAPORE (Reuters): Oil prices eased to a three-week low on Friday night on negative economic news from the United States and China and signs of growing supply despite optimism U.S. trade deals could boost global economic growth and oil demand in the future. Brent crude futures fell 76 cents, or 1.1%, to US$68.42 a barrel by 1:44 p.m. EDT (1744 GMT), while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude fell 91 cents, or 1.4%, to US$65.12. That put Brent on track for its lowest close since July 4 and WTI on track for its lowest close since June 30. For the week, Brent was down about 1% and WTI down about 3%. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will meet U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday in Scotland after European Union officials and diplomats said they expected to reach a framework trade deal this weekend. The euro zone economy has remained resilient to the pervasive uncertainty caused by a global trade war, a slew of data showed on Friday, even as European Central Bank policymakers appeared to temper market bets on no more rate cuts. In the U.S., meanwhile, new orders for U.S.-manufactured capital goods unexpectedly fell in June while shipments of those products increased moderately, suggesting that business spending on equipment slowed considerably in the second quarter. Trump said on Friday that he had a good meeting with Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell and got the impression that the head of the U.S. central bank might be ready to lower interest rates. Central banks, like the Fed or ECB, use interest rates to keep inflation in check. Lower interest rates reduce consumer borrowing costs and can boost economic growth and demand for oil. In China, the world's second biggest economy, fiscal revenue dipped 0.3% in the first six months from a year earlier, the finance ministry said on Friday, maintaining the rate of decline seen between January and May. GROWING SUPPLIES? The US is preparing to allow partners of Venezuela's state-run PDVSA, starting with U.S. oil major Chevron, to operate with limitations in the sanctioned nation, sources said on Thursday. That could boost Venezuelan oil exports by a little more than 200,000 barrels per day (bpd), which would be welcome news for U.S. refiners, as it would ease tightness in the heavier crude market, ING analysts wrote. In the Middle East, Iran said it would continue nuclear talks with European powers after "serious, frank, and detailed" conversations on Friday, the first such face-to-face meeting since Israel and the U.S. bombed Iran last month. Venezuela and Iran are members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). Any deal that could increase the amount of oil either sanctioned country could export would boost the amount of crude available to global markets. A meeting of the Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee, which includes top ministers from OPEC and allies like Russia, a group known as OPEC+, is scheduled for 1200 GMT on Monday. Four OPEC+ sources told Reuters the meeting was unlikely to alter the group's existing policy, which calls for eight members to raise output by 548,000 bpd in August. In Russia, the world's second biggest crude oil producer behind the U.S., daily oil exports from its western ports are set to be around 1.77 million bpd in August, down from 1.93 million bpd in July's plan, amid the expected rise in refinery runs, Reuters calculations based on data from two sources show. In the U.S., energy firms this week cut the number of oil and natural gas rigs operating for the 12th time in 13 weeks, energy services firm Baker Hughes said in its closely followed report on Friday. (Reporting by Scott DiSavino in New York, Robert Harvey in London, and Sudarshan Varadhan and Siyi Liu in Singapore. Editing by Kirsten Donovan and Emelia Sithole-Matarise) - Reuters
New Straits Times
8 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Malaysia's new ambassador to US pledges stronger bilateral relations
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's new Ambassador to the United States (US), Tan Sri Muhammad Shahrul Ikram Yaakob, reaffirmed his commitment to further strengthening the Malaysia–US bilateral relationship during a credentials ceremony with President Donald J. Trump at the White House. In a Facebook post on Saturday, the Embassy of Malaysia in Washington, D.C. stated that Muhammad Shahrul Ikram presented his Letter of Credence to Trump during the Presentation of Credentials Ceremony at the White House on July 24. The ceremony officially marked him as the 18th Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Malaysia to the United States. "During the ceremony, Muhammad Shahrul Ikram had the opportunity to briefly exchange warm pleasantries with Trump, conveying his commitment to further strengthen the Malaysia–United States bilateral relationship. "He also thanked the President for Secretary of State Marco Rubio's participation in the recent 58th Asean Foreign Ministers' Meeting and Related Meetings, held in Kuala Lumpur from July 8 to 11, which further reaffirmed the US's commitment to the region as well as the deepening of the Malaysia–US Comprehensive Partnership," the embassy said. Over the past six decades since 1957, Malaysia-US's ties have grown into a multifaceted partnership encompassing political, economic, defence and security, educational, and people-to-people cooperation. Muhammad Shahrul Ikram is a former secretary-general of the Foreign Ministry and a veteran diplomat with over 35 years of service. Born in Pahang, Muhammad Shahrul Ikram holds a Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Ecology from Universiti Malaya and completed the Advanced Management Programme at Harvard Business School in 2009. He began his career at the Foreign Ministry in 1988 as an Administrative and Diplomatic Officer. During his career in the public service, Muhammad Shahrul Ikram also served as Malaysia's Ambassador to Qatar and Austria, as well as Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York. His previous diplomatic assignments included stints at Malaysia's diplomatic missions in Vienna, Washington, D.C., and Beijing. He also held the positions of deputy secretary-general of Bilateral Affairs, director-general of Asean-Malaysia National Secretariat (during Malaysia's Chairmanship of Asean in 2015) and Undersecretary of Multilateral Political Division. – BERNAMA
