'Lack of money means no house'

'Lack of money means no house'

The city administration continues to conduct forced evictions of
squatters across the city. On Thursday, the West Jakarta
administration evicted hundreds of people living in Kampung
Sawah, Tanjung Duren, West Jakarta. Affordable housing is a major
issue among people in the low-income bracket. Finding an
affordable yet descent house is difficult. The Jakarta Post
talked with some people on the issue.

Anto, 42, works for a retail company in West Jakarta. He lives
in Tangerang with his wife and son:

It's a dilemma when it comes to housing as financial
constraints are the main problem. I can't afford to buy a house
in the city.

An affordable house would be a very small one or, if I'm
unlucky, I may even be evicted.

I had a bad experience when trying to buy a house in Tangerang
as someone else also claimed ownership of the house.

Since then, I have learned to be more cautious and sensible. I
reckon that the real estate business is very lucrative but also
subject to irregularities. However, I have bought a house now and
I hope that I won't have any (legal) problems.

Ignas, 32, is an employee with a private finance company in
South Jakarta. He lives in Kalimalang, East Jakarta, with his
wife and two children:

A lack of capital is the biggest problem in buying an
affordable house in the city. It's impossible to buy a decent
house as land prices have skyrocketed in Jakarta.

Even if we can afford to buy a house in the city, we must also
consider the surrounding environment.

I have to learn from the thousands of commuters who travel a
long way to work every day. Long distances and risky
transportation doesn't bother them.

That's why I decided to get a house on the outskirts of
Jakarta. It's close to the church and my children's school
despite the bad traffic jams that I must face.

Bera, 65, is a retired civil servant who lives in Kemanggisan,
West Jakarta, with his wife and four children:

I've been living in my own house for years. When former
president Soeharto was in power, I heard rumors that people in
residential areas would be evicted because Mal Taman Anggrek
would be enlarged. It's a relief that the New Order regime fell.

I hope the governor will also drop the plan. Otherwise, we
will live in fear all the time.

I bought a new house in Binong, Tangerang, in case we are
forced to leave our house here. Someday, when I'm old, I will
move there with my family. It's far from the hustle and bustle.

-- Leo Wahyudi S.