GEORGE TOWN: Penang plans to clear a backlog of applications for affordable housing, which now number over 40,000, by issuing at least 1,000 offer letters every two weeks to eligible applicants.
State housing committee chairman S Sundarajoo said 43,260 applicants have been put on the waiting list since 2008.
To facilitate the offers, he said, his office has launched a campaign for applicants to update their particulars online so that they can be issued the offer letters.
“In our attempt at reducing the backlog, we have already issued 915 offer letters, mostly for low-cost units,” he said at a press conference at Komtar here today.
Sundarajoo also said a new rent-to-own scheme will be introduced for singles and young families at the upcoming Jelutong people’s housing project (PPR).
He said two 44-storey and 45-storey blocks will be built at the PPR site in Kota Giam, with one block comprising studio flats measuring 500 sq ft each, and three-bedroom units measuring 700 sq ft for families.
The project has been allocated a RM100 million fund from the local government development ministry with 500 units expected to be offered when ready.
Sundarajoo said Penang will also introduce a new affordable housing category for those earning not more than RM5,000 a month.
They will be eligible to apply for a 750 sq ft unit at RM100,000 each.
“We are speaking to banks to offer a special financing scheme for applicants under this category,” he said.
Sundarajoo said there are 152,263 affordable housing units in Penang that are either ready, pending approval or being built.