Ministry to focus on helping B40 group own first home

KUCHING: The People’s Housing Programme (PPR) is an initiative of the Housing and Local Government Ministry (KPKT) in solving housing problems among the low income group to own houses.

Its minister Zuraida Kamaruddin said the ministry’s main focus was families staying in squatter areas around the cities and towns such as Kuching, Bintulu and Miri.

“So far 4,866 families from squatter settlements in Kuching do not have any permanent places to stay.

“So these are the ones needing a house, the KPKT wants to help them and it is our priority to provide the first home to this group. What is important is they must be willing to live outside the urban areas,” she said.

She told reporters this after visiting the second phase of the Sungai Tengah PPR project yesterday.

“KPKT wants to focus on the low income group of the bottom-40 (B40) besides striving to upgrade the type of low cost houses nationwide,” he said.

Also present was state Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Dr Sim Hui Hian.

Apart from Selangor, Sarawak is the second state that provides financing to help the low income group to own houses through the Mutiara Mortgage and Credit Sdn Bhd.

Under the programme, the state government will allocate a sum of money as advance for families who cannot afford to pay the deposit. - Bernama