33,000 Uninhabitable Houses in East Java to Be Renovated

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - A total of 33,000 uninhabitable housing units (RTLH) in East Java Province will be renovated. This house renovation is carried out by the Ministry of Housing and Settlement Areas (PKP) through the Self-Help Housing Stimulus Assistance (BSPS) programme. “Last year, the BSPS quota in East Java was 4,165 units; this year, we are increasing it significantly to 33,000 units so that the handling of uninhabitable houses can be faster,” said Minister of PKP Maruarar Sirait, quoted on Monday (4/4/2026). Specifically in Wonokusumo Ward, the BSPS allocation for 2026 reaches 230 housing units. Meanwhile, for the city of Surabaya as a whole, it increases from 185 units to 1,252 units. This programme is also directed to encourage regional economic growth through the use of domestic materials, such as locally produced tiles and building materials from micro, small, and medium enterprises (UMKM) in East Java. The implementation of the BSPS programme is also directed to boost the local economy through the use of domestic materials. “For the 33,000 BSPS units in East Java, we will use local tile production from entrepreneurs in East Java, and there is information from Trenggalek that bricks from East Java UMKM are needed as well, so it’s not only about repairing houses but also stimulating the regional economy,” she explained. This concept is promoted as an effort to improve housing quality, beautify settlement environments, and strengthen Indonesia’s image in the eyes of tourists. According to Prabowo, the dominant use of corrugated iron that is still prevalent in many areas is considered not ideal for the tropical climate and impacts the comfort of house occupants. Prabowo stated this at the National Coordination Meeting (Rakornas) of Central and Regional Governments for 2026 in Sentul, Bogor, West Java, on Monday (2/2/2026). He assessed that this condition makes settlement environments lose aesthetic value. Even Indonesia’s number one person emphasised that it is difficult to realise a beautiful face of Indonesia if house roofs are still dominated by corrugated iron.