Additional 5,000 council homes to be built in Kuala Lumpur - Shahidan

KUALA LUMPUR: The Federal Territories Ministry plans to build 5,000 more council or transit homes for rental in Kuala Lumpur to overcome the housing shortage problem faced by low-income city dwellers.

Its minister Datuk Seri Dr Shahidan Kassim said the original target set at 5,000 units within a period of five years was feared to be insufficient due to the city's high population figure which was also expected to increase each year.

"The Housing and Local Government Ministry will also be building homes for the city folk but the allocation is from the federal government, while the council homes are from Kuala Lumpur City Hall's (DBKL) allocation and these will eventually belong to DBKL.

"I will be forwarding this proposal to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob," he told the media after the ground-breaking ceremony for the building of DBKL staff quarters in Sentul, today.

Before this, DBKL had identified six suitable locations for the building of 5,000 council homes including in Bandar Sri Permaisuri, Jalan Siakap Cheras and Taman Desa Seputeh with the minimum size of the units at 750 square metres and the rental lower than the market rate.

In the Sentul area, council homes will be built to replace the original quarters which are old and no longer suitable for occupation, with 168 new units to be rented out to low-income DBKL staff and the construction expected to be completed by March 31, 2024.

-- BERNAMA