BANGKOK - All new affordable housing projects will undergo tests and analyses including wind tunnel tests and sun-path analysis to provide liveable and comfortable homes for the low-income group (B40) and middle-income group (M40), Local Government Development Minister Nga Kor Ming said.
He said the other analysis including thermal comfort analysis and green building index (GBI)
The new programmes would begin with affordable housing projects, such as the People's Housing Projects (PPR), "Rumah Belia Madani," "Rumah Mesra Rakyat," and PR1MA Corporation Malaysia (PR1MA).
"I am determined to make a change. We are going for quality rather than quantity. It is incumbent upon them to conduct the analysis and tests.
"I envision including rainwater harvesting systems and solar panels in our affordable housing programme. Besides that, GBI will help promote sustainability and raise awareness about environmental issues... This will be a game changer,” he told Bernama.
The minister was shocked to learn the results of a study by the Institute for Health Behavioural Research, the Health Ministry (MOH), and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) which revealed that 13.4 per cent of children and teenagers living in PPR in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor have thoughts of suicide or hurting themselves as a result of life's pressures.
"It was not planned properly. The housing project was not liveable and the conditions were bad and cramped. Therefore, the ministry is determine to build liveable homes,” he said.
Nga stated that the ministry is committed to constructing 500,000 affordable housing units by 2025 under the 12th Malaysia Plan (2021-2025), and that these will be constructed in accordance with 5 important principles: accessibility, liveability, connectivity, decent community, and sustainability to satisfy present and future housing requirements.
He said that the government, its agencies, and the business sector have created more than 280,000 affordable homes to date.
"We still have 220,000 units to go. From now on, we have decided to change our affordable housing concept, which will based on the five key indicators - accessibility, livability, sustainability, comfortability, good and community,” he said.
He continued, "Home Ownership Programme (HOPE) was introduced to consolidate and provide comprehensive information about the housing eco-system in order to ensure access to financing." These projects are created and pushed through partnerships with numerous public and private organisations.
Meanwhile, Nga urged the people to play their role in maintaining facilities at affordable housing projects.
Before receiving their house keys, he said, owners of PPR will have to complete a civic participation training that includes instruction on the significance of paying upkeep fees, stopping vandalism, and keeping cleanliness.
"We would like to create awareness to ensure the owners understand their responsibility when using common facilities... or else, 10 years later, the new PPR will become a slum.
"You cannot expect the government to pay maintenance fees. Therefore, the people must come onboard and we must work as a team to ensure a liveable, comfortable and friendly-environment,” he said. -Bernama