Use Program Residensi Rakyat Units As Transit Homes Says Buyers Group

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HBA honorary secretary-general Chang Kim Loong raises concerns over the decision to sell RM300,000 PRR housing units at discounted prices, saying profiteers will soon take over.KUALA LUMPUR: The National House Buyers Association (HBA) has called on the government to re-evaluate its approach of selling Program Residensi Rakyat (PRR) housing units at discounted prices.
HBA honorary secretary-general Chang Kim Loong said the units under this new project should not be sold but rather rented out to deserving applicants as transit homes, Bernama reported.
“This is where the lower-income groups can stay in relative comfort and pay low rents while they work towards improving their economic livelihood,” he was quoted as saying.
On March 8, housing and local government minister Nga Kor Ming announced PRR as a new public housing model.
Chang Kim Loong.Under this programme, each unit, with a construction cost of RM300,000, will be sold at RM60,000, with up to RM15,000 earmarked for maintenance and sinking funds.
Chang said profiteers will eventually take over, leading to inflated rental and resale prices.
This will undermine long-term efforts to address the issue of affordable housing for lower-income groups, he added.
Chang also suggested a rental review of PRR residents once every five years to ensure that only deserving applicants continue to stay in these units.
“Residents who have improved their economic livelihood must be asked to make way for more deserving applicants.
“When the residents move in, the ministry should emphasise to them that these PRR units are ‘transit homes’ and they can only stay there until they can afford to purchase their own properties,” he said - FMT

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