Affordable Housing Exists! But There’s A Catch…
Affordable housing that cost between RM200,000 and RM250,000 exist. The catch? They’re difficult to access.
Real Estate and Housing Developers’ Association (Rehda) president Datuk Seri Fateh Iskandar Mohd Mansor said that thousands of such houses are available, but awareness among buyers is low. One authority is necessary to provide the big data so people are aware that these properties are available throughout the country.
“Although financing is an issue, there has to be an awareness that these units are widely available,” he said.
A survey done by The Star shows that these houses are available in the Klang Valley – in Kajang, Bukit Jalil, Kepong, Setia Alam, Cheras, Klang and Cyberjaya. A google search map has also shown houses within this price range in the Klang Valley are mostly located more than 30km away from Kuala Lumpur City Centre.
According to the Statistics Department, the median monthly household income for Malaysia last year rose to RM5,228 from RM4,585 in 2014.
With a national median monthly household income at RM5,228, houses that would be considered affordable would cost around RM188,000, or three times a household’s median annual income.
Affordable housing is a major issue in Budget 2018 that will be presented by the Prime Minister tomorrow. Currently, Malaysia has about 10 affordable housing programmes initiated by the Government.
