New MBR Rules in Effect: Salaries up to Rp 14 Million Eligible for Subsidised Housing

The government has expanded the criteria for low-income communities (MBR) through its latest regulation. Workers earning up to Rp 8.5 million per month in several regions, and even married couples with a combined income of up to Rp 14 million in the Greater Jakarta area (Jabodetabek), now fall into the MBR category and are entitled to access subsidised housing programmes. This policy is expected to broaden opportunities for the public to own decent housing while supporting the acceleration of the Three Million Houses Programme. The change refers to the Minister of Housing and Settlement Areas (PKP) Regulation Number 5 of 2025 concerning the Amount of Income and Criteria for Low-Income Communities and Requirements for Ease of Construction and Acquisition of Houses. The regulation has been in effect since its enactment on 22 April 2025. Minister of Home Affairs Muhammad Tito Karnavian stated that the adjustment was made because the previous MBR income limits no longer reflected the economic conditions and cost of living in various regions. The government has also changed the regional division from two to four zones so that the determination of income limits is more in line with the characteristics of each area. Under the new regulation, Zone 1, which covers Java outside Jabodetabek, Sumatra, West Nusa Tenggara, and East Nusa Tenggara, sets a maximum income limit of Rp 8.5 million per month for unmarried individuals and Rp 10 million for married individuals. For Zone 2, which includes Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Bali, the Bangka Belitung Islands, the Riau Islands, Maluku, and North Maluku, the maximum income limit is set at Rp 9 million for unmarried individuals and Rp 11 million for married individuals.