Govt will build 4,800 units transit studio apartment for youth in Batu, KL

The Ministry of Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government will build 4,800 units of studio apartment for youth, on its land in Batu district, Kuala Lumpur.

Its minister, Tan Sri Noh Omar, said the first phase of the Youth Transit Studio Apartment project, to begin in July, would involve the construction of two-bedroom units with sizes ranging from 450 sq ft to 650 sq ft with a maximum rental period of five years for each tenant.

Speaking to reporters after attending the ministry''s monthly assembly here today, Noh said the project was part of the government''s efforts to help youth to save money to buy a house after the five-year rental period end.

"Through this project, the tenant will be charged rental fee of RM800 per month of which RM300 will be ''saved'' by the government until the end of the rental period of five years.

"If the tenant meets the terms of the agreement and pays the rent every month on a regular basis, we will return his ''savings' of RM18,000 which will allow him to rent a house or use it as deposit to buy a new home... that''s our goal, " he said.

Noh said that the rental rate was decided after taking into account the rental studio apartment (rates) in the neighbourhood before 20 per cent discount by the government.

Meanwhile, Noh said the ministry had also decided to extend the 10 per cent ownership quota of any Public Housing Project (PPR) for ministry''s staff, effective Monday.

Employees who met the eligibility criteria of earning RM3,000 and below could apply for the PPR Seri Aman, Jinjang, Kepong Utara, PPR Lembah Subang 1 and PPR Lembah Subang 2, from Monday onwards, he said.

Earlier, Noh also launched the National Housing Management System (SPRN), an online system in which the public can apply for any of the housing projects under the ministry.

To be officially implemented on May 2, the SPRN would include all housing schemes under the ministry such as PPR, Private Affordable Housing Scheme (MyHome), First Home Deposit Funding Scheme (MyDeposit), Housing Loan Scheme (SPP), Rumah Transit 1Malaysia (RT1M) including application for RT1M Bukit Jalil and 21 housing projects under MyHome scheme, he said. - BERNAMA