City to build more low-cost apartments

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)