Minister of Housing and Settlement: Permanent housing for disaster victims in Sumatra to be ready before Eid
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Minister of Housing and Settlement, Maruarar Sirait, has targeted that permanent housing units for disaster victims in North Sumatra, West Sumatra, and Aceh will be ready for occupancy before Eid 2026.
“We will strive to ensure that some units can be handed over to the people before Eid. I have already scheduled time to be present before Eid,” said Maruarar Sirait (Ara) in a statement in Jakarta, Thursday.
He appealed to the Governors and Regents to assist in the smooth construction of the permanent housing units, which are being built by the Buddha Tzu Chi Foundation, both in terms of land provision and the improvement of access roads to the housing units.
According to data from the Buddha Tzu Chi Foundation, for the construction of permanent housing units in North Sumatra, 648 units of the first phase have been progressed out of a total commitment of 1,103 units.
In Tapanuli Tengah, it is targeted that 50 units can be completed on March 15, 2026, and 20 units in Tapanuli Utara can also be completed on March 15, 2026.
Meanwhile, for the progress of permanent housing units in Aceh, according to data from the Buddha Tzu Chi Foundation, 600 units of the first phase have been progressed out of a total commitment of 1,000 units.
It is targeted that on March 15, 2026, 40 units can be completed in North Aceh Regency. Meanwhile, in West Sumatra, only 43 units out of a total commitment of 500 units have been progressed.
For information, the Government continues to accelerate the construction of temporary housing and permanent housing as part of the rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts after the disaster in the Sumatra region to ensure that affected communities can soon occupy more decent and safe housing.
In a statement from the Government Communication Agency of the Republic of Indonesia (Bakom RI), it was mentioned that the construction of temporary housing shows significant progress. In Gayo Lues Regency, Aceh, TNI personnel from the local Military District Command are building temporary housing for disaster-affected residents in Agusen Village, Blangkejeren District.
A number of units have been built and are in the refinement stage. Meanwhile, new building frames continue to be erected to increase the capacity of the housing.
In West Sumatra, the acceleration of temporary housing construction is also progressing rapidly. There are at least nine temporary housing areas that have been completed and are ready to be occupied, spread across Lima Puluh Kota Regency, Agam Regency, Padang Pariaman Regency, Pesisir Selatan Regency, Tanah Datar Regency, and Padang City.
Meanwhile, one temporary housing area in Pesisir Selatan Regency is still under construction with a progress of 65 percent. The completion of the temporary housing in IV Nagari Bayang Utara District, Puluik-Puluik Village, will continue to be accelerated so that it can be used by the community soon.
In North Sumatra, the construction of temporary housing is running in tandem with the acceleration of permanent housing construction.
In the Batang Toru area, Tapanuli Selatan Regency, the pouring of the permanent housing structure has begun on PTPN IV land, accompanied by the preparation of construction materials to support the next stages of construction.
This permanent housing is designed as a long-term solution for residents who have lost their homes due to the disaster.