Construction of Permanent Housing Welcomed with Enthusiasm and Hope by Disaster Survivors in Bireuen

The Task Force for Accelerating Rehabilitation and Reconstruction (Satgas PRR) following the Sumatra disaster continues to build permanent housing (huntap) for survivors of hydrometeorological disasters in Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra whose homes were severely damaged or swept away by floods. A total of 36,669 units are projected to be built in the three affected provinces. Currently, around 110 huntap units have been completed, with another 1,359 units under construction. The construction of huntap is carried out across ministries and agencies, such as BNPB, the Ministry of Public Works and Housing (Kementerian PKP), Polri, the Ministry of Home Affairs (Kemenkopolkam), Danantara, and local governments. Several private entities and individuals are also involved in the huntap construction. One of the areas for huntap construction is Desa Balee Panah, Kecamatan Juli, Bireuen Regency, Aceh. The huntap there is being built by BNPB and is projected to be earthquake-resistant housing. The type 36 homes are constructed with stone foundations, lightweight brick walls (habel), lightweight steel for the roof foundation combined with spandex material for the roof, and PVC ceilings. Suryani, one of the disaster survivors in Desa Balee Panah, welcomes the huntap construction. She revealed that her home was submerged and collapsed when the hydrometeorological disaster struck her village at the end of last year. She hopes the huntap can be built soon so she can occupy it and reorganise her life after the hydrometeorological disaster. Currently, in Desa Balee Panah, a prototype unit of the huntap has been built, with construction planned to be accelerated after Eid al-Fitr 1447 H/2026. The prototype huntap in Desa Balee Panah is painted white and contains a main room and two bedrooms with one bathroom. The lighting inside the house also uses LED lamps. “It’s said that after Lebaran, construction will begin. We hope it can be quick, so we can occupy it right away,” said Suryani when met on Tuesday, 17 March 2026. Suryani also appreciates the government for providing assistance during the post-disaster period, especially aid in the form of basic necessities such as rice, cooking oil, instant noodles, and so on, which have supported her daily life after being affected by the disaster. Based on BNPB data, the huntap construction in Kecamatan Juli uses an in-situ scheme or is built around the initial disaster-affected area. Besides Kecamatan Juli, there are two other sub-districts in Bireuen where huntap will be built with an in-situ scheme, namely Kecamatan Jangka and Kecamatan Peudada.