Welfare flats taken over by urban professionals<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Eleven years after his family's home in Bendungan Hilir, Central
\nJakarta, burned down, Ali -- not his real name -- now lives on
\nthe third floor of an apartment complex that was built on top of
\nthe charred ruins by the city administration.<\/p>\n
However, Ali and his family are among the few original tenants
\nleft, as others have either sold or rented out their apartments.
\nA sign at the front of the building declares: \"Low-cost Apartment
\nComplex built on land owned by Jakarta City Administration\".<\/p>\n
\"I'd say about 99 percent are outsiders,\" said Ali, whose
\nfamily now owns five units, four of which they rent out.<\/p>\n
The \"outsiders\" Ali refers to are young, mostly single, urban
\nprofessionals who have taken over six ten-story buildings,
\ncommonly referred to as the Benhil 2 Apartments that were built
\nfor the mostly poor families who lost homes in the fire eleven
\nyears ago.<\/p>\n
\"Demand is high,\" said Ali. \"An empty unit is usually rented
\nout in two or three days.\"<\/p>\n
The 614, three-by-seven meter studio apartments at Benhil 2,
\nwhich is strategically located in the heart of the city, are
\nrented out for between Rp 400,000 (US$43) and Rp 650,000 per
\nmonth, exclusive of water and electricity. Most units are
\nequipped with air conditioners and a stove.<\/p>\n
The apartment compound also offers roughly 225 parking spaces
\nfor cars, which an online ad for a Benhil 2 studio proclaims
\n\"have never been occupied by a car built before 1990\".<\/p>\n
Even though the parking space costs an extra Rp 40,000 per
\nmonth, at night cars constantly jostle for the best spots.<\/p>\n
\"Don't worry, for an extra Rp 2,000 per day a security guard
\nwill guarantee a spot,\" Ali said assuringly.<\/p>\n
The city originally sold ownership of the apartments,
\ncompleted in 1996, to eligible families at a 50 percent discount.<\/p>\n
Eligible families paid between Rp 10 million and Rp 15 million
\nfor their apartments, repayable in monthly installments over a
\nfive to 20 year period.<\/p>\n
Ali said that current prices for the units were anywhere
\nbetween Rp 60 million and Rp 80 million, on top of any remaining
\nmortgage payments.<\/p>\n
Ali himself still owes about Rp 8.5 million on each of his
\nfamily's five studios.<\/p>\n
Under current regulations, the rental of a subsidized unit to
\nunqualified parties before the mortgage has been paid off is
\ntechnically prohibited, as the city retains legal ownership of
\nthe units.<\/p>\n
City Housing Agency head Hari Sasongko recently said that some
\n70 percent of the city's 7,000 subsidized units were occupied by
\npeople who did not qualify for them. He warned that city
\nofficials would conduct raids at the suspected units and cut off
\ntheir subsidy.<\/p>\n
Ali, however, questioned the legality of this.<\/p>\n
\"These units are ours,\" said Ali. \"But if a tenant does get
\nevicted by the City, we'll refund any remaining rent.\"<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/welfare-flats-taken-over-by-urban-professionals-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}