A TOTAL of 45 low-cost housing unit applicants received their offer letters for Block C of the Mutiara Indah Flats in Simpang Ampat recently.
State Housing and Environment Committee chairman Datuk Seri Sundarajoo Somu, who handed over the offer letters to the recipients, hoped that the provision of homes would contribute to improving their quality of life.
Sundarajoo said out of the total of 56 successful applicants, 45 of them were present during the offer letter handover ceremony, which took place on Sept 24 at the Mutiara Indah Flats in Simpang Empat.
“I hope that the respective house owners will not rent out these units to foreigners but will use the homes for themselves.
“The state government is also planning to enact a law that prohibits the owners from renting their houses to foreigners.
“I am not anti-foreigner, but renting the homes to them would cause discomfort to other residents.
“The state has done its responsibility by providing homes to those who need them, and in the same manner, I hope that owners will take responsibility for the units,” he said, adding that the units given cannot be sold for the next 10 years.
Apart from that, Sundarajoo also shared that recently he has introduced a new housing product, priced at RM100,000 (750 square feet), primarily to help young people to own a house.
“This is for those with a total household income of RM5,000, especially for young people who have just started working after graduating.
“We also want to give them the opportunity to own a house,” he added.
Sundarajoo also requested the affordable home buyers in Penang to report to his office or the Penang Housing Board should any developer force them to purchase an additional package for the renovation of their respective units.
“I will blacklist the developers as they do not have the right to force the buyers to take up the additional package.
“But if the buyers themselves are willing or request to buy the additional packages, then it is between the developer and the buyers. And we will not stop or interfere with that,” he said.
Sundarajoo urged all individuals registered with the Penang Housing Board to update their personal information in the system.
He also shared that the board has introduced a new system via HOPE (Housing Outcome Performance Committee) to help with the process of offering affordable housing units.
“We will also be holding roadshows on both the island and mainland once a year to assist our people in registering their names with the Penang Housing Board.
“We have received complaints that not everyone knows how to key in their particulars in the system, so we have stationed our staff at Level 3 of Komtar to assist,” Sundarajoo said.
Story by Tanushalini Moroter
Pix by Tanushalini Moroter & courtesy of Penang Housing Board