There are many things which the government can still do even if buyers prefer to buy closer to their places of work instead of families which may buy into townships further away.
According to a report in TheStar recently, Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) says it will be providing single people of low income in the capital city, with micro-housing facilities this year.
It says that it is currently refurbishing an existing building along Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman to be turned into a capsule hotel with residential units for them.
This is what Kuala Lumpur mayor Datuk Nor Hisham Ahmad Dahlan said of the scheme which is targeted at the B40 group. “But once they are married, they will not be eligible for micro housing.”
The mayor shared that the rental would be RM100 per month and that there would be a total of 200 micro-housing units for men and women.
He said the micro-housing scheme was a way to give back to society just like the free GoKL buses. The rental fee and application method would be finalised soon.
However, more details are needed, and sooner rather than later. For instance, the issue of security is rather pressing. Will there be security measures in place for residents of these micro-homes?
What about rules and regulations? The micro-housing units are specifically for singles. So is it allowed if certain people bring company home with them? And who will enforce these rules and regulations?
If this is really aimed at the B40 group, then it’s imperative to ensure the micro-housing units are located close to public transport stations.
200 units @ RM100 = RM20,000 per month. Has the mayor found a management company that can ensure proper maintenance of these units?
It is sincerely hoped moving forward, maintenance becomes key to everything we do. Earlier article here.
This is so that there’s a future for the programme and it doesn’t become a case of just rushing into the building of these micro-housing units only to rebuild it a few years later, at an even greater expense.
It’s important that it’s sustainable.
This article first appeared in kopiandproperty.com
Charles Tan blogs at property investment site kopiandproperty. He dislikes property speculators and disagrees that renting is better than buying. He thinks it’s either property or poverty. He is presently the CEO of an auction house auctioning assets beyond just properties.