The state government will open up opportunities for developers to take over housing projects abandoned since seven years ago involving 1,922 units, under the Private Affordable Housing Scheme (MyHome).

Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Bashah Md Hanipah said the state government had agreed to give the housing project sites to developers to build MyHome 1 and MyHome 2 units and they could discuss the matter with the state's Housing Division and the local councils.

"MyHome has an advantage because the scheme offers an incentive of RM30,000 as down payment. People can purchase a house under MyHome 1 at RM90,000, while the MyHome 2 costs RM190,000," he told reporters after the launching of the Malaysia Property Expo (Mapex) 2016, here, Saturday.

Thus, he hoped that developers would build more affordable houses, taking
into account the purchasing power of the people in Kedah before they embarked on
a housing project.
"Developers are also advised to build multi-storey buildings such as
apartments to maximise the land in Kedah due to increasing land scarcity. When
more multi-storey buildings are built, the price per unit can be further reduced
and this can help the people of Kedah to own a home," he said.
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BASHAH-HOUSING 2 (LAST) ALOR SETAR

Ahmad Bashah said the state government would also review policies involving
property development including whether to reduce or eliminate the existing
development charges.
"The Real Estate and Housing Developers' Association Malaysia (Rehda) for
Kedah and Perlis has applied for reduction of 10 per cent from the current
development charges because the value of the properties offered was now much
lower than before.
"The value of the properties offered at Kedah Mapex in 2014 was RM2.3
billion, RM1.8 billion in 2015 and this year, it dropped to RM1.2 billion. We
will look at this matter to boost housing development in order to meet the
people's needs," he said.
Meanwhile, Kedah/Perlis Rehda chairman Datuk Rick Cheng Wooi Seong hoped the
state government would focus on the housing policy in the state to ensure that
the property and housing industry would continue to grow, apart from providing
affordable houses to the people.
"The (housing) development industry in Kedah is seen as weak due to several
factors including the development charges. So, we ask the state government to
consider the developers' request as this industry is one of the contributors to
the state's economy," he said.