State housing committee chairman Jagdeep Singh Deo said buyers of the first phase of the Bandar Cassia project, “Suria 1”, would get a strata title immediately upon its completion, in line with revised national property laws.

The units, priced between RM72,000 and RM300,000, are only available to Penangites with a combined household income of RM3,500 to RM10,000 per month, as per state-sanctioned affordable housing projects.

“We are the first in the country to give strata titles at the same time that vacant possession is given to buyers.

“Their certificates of completion and compliance (CCC) will be given out, likely by December as well,” Jagdeep said when met by reporters at the Penang Development Corporation headquarters in Bayan Baru here today.

Jagdeep said the first phase has 520 units, out of 11,800 units which will be built in subsequent phases. The first phase began construction in July 2014.

The Bandar Cassia project is built by state agency Penang Development Corporation and designed by Singapore’s HDB architects, Surbana Jurong.

The project involves nine-storey and 20-storey blocks built on 80ha of land.

The Bandar Cassia project is one of two affordable housing projects announced by the Penang government in 2011.

The others are at Jalan SP Chelliah and Sandilands, George Town and Kampung Jawa, Butterworth, where work is in progress.

Twelve other state-sanctioned housing projects with 25,000-odd units are in the pipeline.

Jagdeep and Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng also witnessed the signing of sales and purchase documents by 88 buyers of a state-sanctioned affordable housing project.

The project, called “Dua Residensi”, is slated for completion by mid- to end-2018. It will have 694 units of medium and low-medium cost units built on 5.88 acres of land in Teluk Kumbar, Bayan Lepas.

The project is fully funded by the Penang government via the Penang Development Corporation. Its development cost is reported to be about RM145 million.