Limited Home Renovation Quotas Prompt Jakarta Council to Propose Social Savings Boxes
The Jakarta Provincial Legislative Council (DPRD) has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the Home Renovation Programme for disadvantaged residents. However, the limited assistance quota each year is deemed insufficient to meet the high demand at the sub-district level.
Jakarta DPRD Deputy Chairman Wibi Andrino said that government funding allocated to the programme remains highly limited, whilst the number of uninhabitable homes requiring repair far exceeds available resources. “In one sub-district, the maximum is two houses per year. Meanwhile, the need is far greater than that,” Wibi said.
According to him, this situation demands collaboration and community participation to ensure decent housing needs are still met. “We cannot rely solely on the government,” he said. He cited the practice of communal cooperation (gotong royong) in home renovation activities in RT 10 RW 07, Lebak Bulus, Cilandak, South Jakarta. Repairs were carried out using collective funds from donors, and Wibi himself participated.
A similar collective funding scheme was also implemented in Cengkareng, West Jakarta, to assist disadvantaged residents with disabilities. The home renovation programme there was carried out by the Civil Service Police Unit (Satpol PP).
The initiative received praise from Muhammad Thamrin, a member of Commission D of the Jakarta DPRD. “It deserves a thumbs up. Through this home renovation effort, they have demonstrated an extraordinary humanitarian side,” he said.
Thamrin proposed that the Jakarta Provincial Government provide social savings boxes at every government office. This scheme is expected to expedite assistance when residents’ homes require repairs, without having to wait for lengthy budget processes. “I strongly support this kind of communal cooperation being emulated by other agencies in Jakarta,” he said.
According to Thamrin, the communal cooperation model not only accelerates home repairs for residents but also strengthens the relationship between government officials and the community. “This initiative also makes the relationship between government officers and the people warmer and more familiar because there is a sense of mutual care,” he said.
He also urged that home renovations be tailored to the needs of residents with disabilities, particularly in multi-storey buildings. “The design must be thoroughly considered so that they do not have difficulty going up and down stairs or carrying out daily activities,” Thamrin said.
Furthermore, he emphasised the importance of strengthening the Home Renovation Programme budget through the regional budget (APBD), whilst ensuring its implementation is well-targeted, transparent, and directly felt by residents in need.