Kamal Residents Opt for Relocation to Flats Over Renting, Here's Why

JAKARTA - Several residents have decided to accept the relocation offer from the cemetery land in the Kamal and Pegadungan areas, Kalideres, West Jakarta. One of them is Susilawati (68), who finally moved to the Nagrak Flats in North Jakarta, claiming she had no other choice. “I can’t afford to rent. What can I do? Here, rentals are at least Rp800,000 or Rp700,000, but electricity is separate. So with electricity, it’s about Rp1 million, making it actually cheaper than renting,” said Susilawati when met by Kompas.com in Kamal on Monday (30/3/2026). Moreover, she and the other relocated residents receive a waiver of rental fees for the first six months. “It’s quite beneficial—six months free, just paying for electricity and water. Three months from the government, three from the flats. After six months there, pay that amount (Rp550,000), apparently that’s half price,” she said. Susilawati mentioned that elderly residents can actually receive lifelong free rental facilities in the flats. However, she cannot yet enjoy this facility due to an error in the age recorded on her Identity Card (KTP). “My age is 58 (on the KTP), not yet elderly. There was a mistake back then on the KTP; my age is 10 years younger, so I have to pay for 2 years, after that it’s free,” she said. The woman, who has lived for decades in her shack in RW 07 Kamal, admitted she is willing to leave her old home. “Because it’s government land, how can I hold on to it. I’ve lived there for 20 years already lucky. The important thing for me is to be registered. I can get elderly assistance, social aid, PKH. So living alone there, there’s some guarantee of a bit of income,” she explained. She expressed a longing for clean housing like an apartment for the sake of her declining health with age. In the new flats, she is grateful to get a unit on the second floor so she doesn’t have to go too high. “In old age, I want to live comfortably, sleep well, clean. All this time here, there are many rats. I want to be healthy. Who knows, by moving to a healthy house, the illness disappears, that’s my hope,” she said.