Governor pledges housing for evictees<\/p>\n
Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
For the first time since the launching of an eviction drive of
\nsquatters last year, Governor Sutiyoso met with the victims of
\nhis campaign on Sunday on the banks of Muara Angke river in North
\nJakarta. During the meeting, he assured the evictees that they
\nwould get low-cost apartments within a year.<\/p>\n
\"We have not decided yet if the apartments will be available
\nfor rent or to buy, but we assure you that you will get one at an
\naffordable price,\" he told around 100 evicted fishermen at their
\ntemporary shelter after the Idul Adha, or Day of Sacrifice
\nprayers.<\/p>\n
The governor, who donated two bulls to be slaughtered for the
\nevictees, said the city administration planned to build 1,600
\napartments for the evictees with the help of privately funded Tzu
\nChi, a Taiwan-based Buddhist foundation.<\/p>\n
A Guan, an official from the foundation, said there would be
\n540 apartments built in the first phase.<\/p>\n
\"The construction will cost Rp 40 billion (US$476,190),\" he
\nsaid, adding that the foundation also had received donations from
\nmany parties, but refused to give details.<\/p>\n
The apartment complex will also have public facilities
\nincluding a school, hospital and a soccer field.<\/p>\n
The planned construction of low-cost apartments in Muara Angke
\nis the second project of the foundation after Cinta Kasih, an
\napartment complex with 1,100 apartments for people of the lower-
\nincome bracket in East Cengkareng, West Jakarta. The apartment
\ncomplex also includes an elementary school and a junior high
\nschool as well as a two-story community health center.<\/p>\n
To live in the apartments in East Cengkareng, each family is
\nrequired to pay a monthly rent of Rp 90,000 (US$11) plus
\nutilities. The fee is charged to cover the cost garbage
\ncollection, security services and maintenance of green spaces.<\/p>\n
However, some of the fishermen were ambivalent about the
\npromised apartments as the governor said the apartments would be
\nprovided only for holders of Jakarta ID cards.<\/p>\n
\"They can have the apartment if they obtain Jakarta ID cards,\"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
From around 1,000 evicted fishermen, only 300 of them have the
\nJakarta ID cards.<\/p>\n
\"I hope the city officials will treat us equally. I also want
\nto stay in an apartment, although I don't have a Jakarta ID
\ncard,\" said a fisherman, who still holds an Indramayu regency ID
\ncard in West Java.<\/p>\n
He claimed he had tried to obtain a Jakarta ID card but was
\nput off by the high fee demanded by officials at district
\noffices.<\/p>\n
Another evictee said a person must pay between Rp 100,000 and
\nRp 150,000 -- much higher than the official price of Rp 3,000 --
\nto officials to obtain a Jakarta ID card.<\/p>\n
The North Jakarta municipal administration plans to build a
\nmodern fishing port and industrial complex along the coastline in
\nthe area while the low-cost apartments or residential zone will
\noccupy the southern part.<\/p>\n
Both zones will be divided by a canal where the fishermen will
\nbe able to moor their boats close to the apartments.<\/p>\n
Sutiyoso praised the project, saying that it would transform
\nthe slum into the most modern port and well-managed fishing
\ncommunity in the country.<\/p>\n
Therefore, he asked the evictees to \"make sacrifices\" and to
\nendure another year in temporary shelters until the construction
\nof the apartments is completed.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/governor-pledges-housing-for-evictees-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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