Low cost apartments officially opened<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): A low cost apartment complex built for victims
\nof a 1994 South Jakarta slum fire is finally ready to be lived
\nin.<\/p>\n
The apartments in the West Tebet subdistrict, opened yesterday
\nby Governor Surjadi Soedirdja, covers a 17.3-hectare plot where
\nthe fire razed hundreds of homes.<\/p>\n
Following the fire, the governor's decree to build a low cost
\napartment complex on the land met resistance from the fire's
\nvictims. However the building of four five-story units worth at
\nleast Rp 13 billion continued.<\/p>\n
The victim's complained they would not be able to afford the
\nmonthly installments. The owners now pay Rp 80,000 to 90,000 a
\nmonth exclusive of maintenance costs and a Rp 3 million down
\npayment.<\/p>\n
Head of the City Housing Office Onky Sukasah said 137 of 320
\nunits had already been moved into by fire victims. The units were
\nbuilt by the city-owned PT Jaya Realty and the private-run PT
\nSetdco Graha Mandhura.<\/p>\n
For residents who own tofu and fermented soybean cake (tempe)
\nbusinesses there 14 kiosks for them to operate south of the
\ncomplex.<\/p>\n
Low income residents who operate businesses from home often
\nresist apartment living.<\/p>\n
Repeating earlier warnings to new apartment owners, Governor
\nSurjadi Soedirdja said residents of the 21-square-meter units
\nmust not be tempted into selling their units.<\/p>\n
However, he acknowledged it was difficult to police this
\nbecause transactions were done privately.<\/p>\n
\"The only thing we can do is ask residents to appreciate our
\nefforts in providing them with good housing,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He said many residents were not aware that they were not
\nallowed to sell their units.<\/p>\n
\"We want to provide good homes for low income people but
\nwithout their own awareness, we cannot do anything,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Units which are found to be sold are sealed by the housing
\nagency. But often documents still bear the name of the original
\nowner even though the unit has been sold.<\/p>\n
Onky said given the increasing needs for low cost apartments,
\nmore private developers should build them.<\/p>\n
\"Out of 70 apartment projects (by private developers), only 14
\nare low-cost apartments,\" he said. Only four of the low-cost
\napartment projects have been completed.<\/p>\n
Onky said developers complain they do not profit from building
\ncheap apartments.<\/p>\n
\"Many developers have limited financial resources, so they
\nbuild medium and high price apartments to get profit before
\nbuilding cheap ones,\" he said. (04)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/low-cost-apartments-officially-opened-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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