City to build more low-cost apartments

JAKARTA (JP): An official said Saturday that more low-cost apartments will be built in South Jakarta.

Nusmardi of the city housing agency said that the administration will build apartments in Duren Tiga, Pengadegan and Mampang Prapatan subdistricts.

"The apartment projects will start gradually. The first in 1998 will be the Mampang Prapatan apartments," he said.

He said the agency plans to construct three buildings with 270 apartments on a 1.2 hectare plot partially owned by the city administration. Each apartment will be 21 square meters.

The agency has proposed Rp 500 million to appropriate 600 sq. meters of land from local residents, he added.

The low-cost apartments will be built for city administration employees and residents of local slum areas.

The construction of low-cost apartments is part of the slum elimination program.

The people who live in slum areas are mostly squatters on city land. Most slum areas have no electricity or clean water supply. The administration has, however, had difficulty in evicting them as they usually demand high compensation.

Providing them with apartments is the only way to help them lead healthy lives.

The programs have been carried out gradually as the administration can only afford to build 3,150 apartments per year.

The demand is 10,500 low-cost apartments per year.

Money has become the main constraint in the program.

The city administration is now constructing apartments in Pejompongan, Tanah Tinggi, Karet Tengsin in Central Jakarta, Penjaringan, Luar Batang, Semper in North Jakarta, Cipinang, Kali Mati in East Jakarta and Bulak Wadon in West Jakarta.

As many as 2,700 low-cost apartments have recently been constructed in eight other locations including Tambora, Karang Anyar, Penjaringan, Pondok Bambu and Cengkareng. (yns)