Government Pursues Target for the Construction of Permanent Housing for Disaster Victims in Sumatra

The government continues to strive to accelerate the construction of permanent housing for communities affected by disasters in the Sumatra region. This was discussed at a Coordination Meeting on the Preparation and Progress Report for the Construction of Permanent Housing, led by the Minister of Home Affairs (Mendagri) Muhammad Tito Karnavian, together with the Minister of Public Works and Public Housing (PKP) Maruarar Sirait, at the Ministry of Home Affairs (Kemendagri) headquarters in Jakarta, today.

Mendagri Tito, who is also the Head of the Task Force for the Acceleration of Rehabilitation and Reconstruction after the Sumatra Disaster, said that the construction of permanent housing is being carried out through various schemes, both from the State Budget (APBN) and through community-based schemes supported by other parties, such as the Buddha Tzu Chi Foundation.

“We know that this permanent housing will be built by the APBN, by the Ministry of PKP, in complexes,” said Tito in a written statement on Wednesday (25/2/2026).

In addition, Tito explained that the construction of permanent housing outside the complexes will be supported by the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB). Support is also provided by other ministries and agencies, such as the Coordinating Ministry for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs (Kemenko Polkam), the National Police (Polri), and the National Alms Agency (Baznas).

Specifically, he expressed his gratitude to the Buddha Tzu Chi Foundation for contributing to providing permanent housing for affected communities.

“We would like to thank everyone, especially the Buddha Tzu Chi Foundation, for their contribution, tolerance, and solidarity with the communities affected by the disaster,” he said.

In line with Tito, Minister of PKP Maruarar Sirait affirmed that the construction of permanent housing is being carried out in a coordinated manner across sectors.

The government continues to ensure that various supporting infrastructures for the construction of permanent housing are available, such as electricity networks, water supply, and road access. He affirmed that the meeting also sought solutions to various issues that still need to be addressed in the provision of permanent housing.

“We are still working to ensure that the permanent housing can be handed over to the people in the near future,” concluded Maruarar.

For additional information, the Head of the Presidential Staff Office (KSP) Muhammad Qodari, the Head of the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS) Amalia Adininggar Widyasanti, and the Deputy Chairman of the Buddha Tzu Chi Foundation, Sugianto Kusuma, were also present at the meeting. The Governor of North Sumatra (Sumut) Bobby Afif Nasution, the Deputy Governor of Aceh Fadhlullah, and the Deputy Governor of West Sumatra (Sumbar) Vasko Ruseimy were also in attendance.