Basic Facilities Incomplete, Residents Hesitate to Occupy New Permanent Housing
Hundreds of disaster victims in Dolok Nauli Village, Adian Koting District, North Tapanuli Regency, North Sumatra, have yet to occupy the Permanent Housing (Huntap) that has been completed. The 103 units, built following a disaster in 2025, remain idle due to the lack of adequate basic facilities.
Field observations indicate the main obstacles for residents are an unfit access road to the housing area, a non-functioning electricity network, and the absence of clean water supply. These conditions have forced beneficiaries to remain in temporary shelters or extend their rental contracts.
In addition to infrastructure issues, some residents have complained about the physical quality of the buildings. Several beneficiaries reported leaks in the roofs, requiring further repairs before the houses are truly habitable.
R. Siregar, a beneficiary, expressed reluctance to relocate. He stated that the lack of electricity and water is the primary barrier preventing residents from starting a new life in the permanent housing. ‘We hope the basic facilities in the Huntap area will be fulfilled soon. Some residents are still forced to extend their house rental contracts because electricity and clean water are not yet available,’ Siregar said.
Responding to the complaints, the Head of the Spatial Planning and Housing Agency for North Tapanuli Regency, Nokman Simanungkalit, confirmed on Friday (10/7) that the electricity network is currently in the installation phase following a memorandum of understanding between the North Tapanuli Regency Government and the state electricity company PLN. Regarding clean water, Nokman stated that the contractor is currently working on installing the piping network. Meanwhile, the main access road will be constructed after the retaining wall at the back of the housing area is completed.
‘The main road construction will be handled by the relevant agency after the retaining wall work is finished, because the access is currently still being used by heavy vehicles transporting materials,’ Nokman explained.
Separately, the Head of Dolok Nauli Village, Jonas Aritonang, revealed that the village government was not involved in the construction process of the housing. Consequently, coordination regarding the obstacles faced by residents has been conducted directly between the residents and the contractor or relevant agencies. ‘We were not involved in the construction of the Huntap. If residents experience problems, they have been coordinating directly with the contractor and the relevant agencies,’ Jonas stated briefly.
The delay in providing basic infrastructure means the objective of building the Huntap as decent housing for disaster victims has not been fully achieved. Residents are now urging the local government and all related parties to immediately complete the supporting works so that the 103 housing units can be functionally occupied.