The federal territories department has identified eight sites for the development of subsidised public rental housing (PASS) to ensure that the B40 group continues to have access to safe, liveable and inclusive housing in the federal capital.
Federal territories minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa said the projects, to be developed on land owned by Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL), would be carried out in phases, prioritising areas with high demand.
“The eight locations are Bandar Baru Sentul (0.57ha), Taman Desa (7ha), Pekan Salak Selatan (1.58ha), Jalan Selimang Cheras (1.36ha), Tasik Permaisuri (0.41ha), Taman Alam Damai (0.45ha), Wayfield Sungai Besi (0.82ha) and Taman Desa Seputeh (1.12ha),” she said during the oral question-and-answer session in the Dewan Negara today.
She was responding to a supplementary question from Senator Awang Sariyan on the government’s efforts to ensure that vulnerable groups in the city continue to have access to safe housing.
Zaliha said PASS was introduced under the Kuala Lumpur Local Plan 2040 (PTKL2040) to support groups such as senior citizens, single mothers, and low-income individuals unable to afford homes in the city.
PTKL2040 outlines several strategies, including the creation of a 353.53ha R4 residential zone specifically for affordable housing, as well as plot ratio incentives for private developers who incorporate affordable housing components in mixed-use projects.
“The government emphasises that affordable housing must not only meet demand in terms of numbers, but also be integrated with basic facilities such as schools, clinics, green spaces and public transport to ensure a better quality of life,” Zaliha said.
She added that the government was working across agencies, including with the Federal Territories Islamic Religious Council, to help “asnaf” groups secure homes through a rent-to-own scheme.
She said financial institutions were also being engaged to offer intergenerational loans, enabling children to take housing loans on behalf of their ageing parents who no longer qualified for conventional financing.
Besides PASS, programmes such as Residensi Madami, PR1MA, PPAM and SASaR are also being rolled out as part of a comprehensive plan to make Kuala Lumpur an inclusive, sustainable and competitive city by 2040.
