City Supports Citizens to Improve Their Living Standards by Providing Rusunawa

The Jakarta Government through Public Housing and Settlement Area (PRKP) Agency continues to work on providing simple rental housing (rusunawa) at affordable prices in order to fulfill the needs of decent housing for residents.

"These programs are expected to improve their standard of living,"

Through the Gubernatorial Regulation No. 111/2014 on Rusunawa Occupancy Mechanism, it is stated that the target occupants of rusunawa are the programmed people (development programs for public interest, natural disasters, urban space control, and/or other similar conditions) and unprogrammed/general people who are categorized as low-income residents (MBR).

The discourse on limitation of staying period for Rusunawa occupants is still being studied by Jakarta PRKP Agency in the Draft Gubernatorial Regulation in Lieu of Gubernatorial Regulation No. 111/2014 on the Rusunawa Occupancy Mechanism.

Marunda Rusunawa Residents Enjoy Administrative Services

"So far, the occupants are comfortable living in Rusunawa because they can get many facilities and assistance programs from the central and city governments. These programs are expected to improve their standard of living," said Jakarta PRKP Agency Head, Kelik Indriyanto, Friday (2/14).

Meanwhile, the Jakarta Government also continues to work on other priority programs, thus the budget portion can be divided for other policies. Moreover, post-development management also takes the portion of City Budget (APBD).

"It is very disproportionate for the needs of backlog figure (accummulation of unfinished work or orders) of housing needs in Jakarta that reaches around 1.8 million decent housing needs in 2021. This figure is very high and not comparable to the Jakarta Government's speed in providing Rusunawa which is only 32,978 units from around 1993, or around an average of 1.030 units per year," he explained.

One of the things that triggered this situation is the limited land that makes land and house prices in Jakarta very expensive. Eventually, this leads to an imbalance in the availability of decent housing.

The limitation of occupancy period is proposed to provide opportunities for residents in Jakarta who also have the same opportunity as residents who have live in Rusunawa for a long time and enjoy subsidized residential units.

"The proposal is still being discussed between regional officials whose finalization is expected to be completed in the mid of Fiscal year 2025. Hopefully, this restriction can make residents who are currently residing in rusunawa are more motivated to be better by having their own housing," he conveyed.

Rusunawa is expected as a housing career which is a temporary housing solution for MBR or certain groups who haven't been able to buy their own house. In long term, Rusunawa is expected to be an incubator for skills and businesses that can improve people's economy so that later they get an affordable housing.

Moreover, the Governor Instruction No. 131/2016 on Optimizing the Management of Simple Rental Housing in Jakarta Province, there is an economic improvement thus occupants become more independent, by providing skills training, business equipment, and building rusunawa cooperative. Rusunawa residents are also given the opportunity to work in the formal sector through job fair, as well as in informal and creative business sectors, and Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).

Article 5 Paragraph 4 of the Law (UU) No. 111/2014 also regulates the term of rental agreement for rusunawa occupants, which is for two years period and can be extended. Therefore, it needs regulations on maximum limit for lease renewal agreement for rusunawa occupants.