Over 47,500 Jakartans to become homeless this year
Over 47,500 Jakartans to become homeless this year
Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Amid criticism from various parties, the Jakarta administration
still plans to go ahead with its eviction program which is
expected to affect at least 8,500 families or around 47,500
people this year, according to the Urban Poor Consortium (UPC).
UPC executive Edi Saidi said on Wednesday that the figure was
a result of monitoring by his organization of a number of state-
owned and disputed plots of lands that at present are being
occupied by squatters.
"Eviction of people living under the harbor toll road in
Penjaringan, North Jakarta, will take place in April, while other
areas will be vacated later," Edi told The Jakarta Post, adding
that the squatters had received eviction notices.
UPC records show that the city administration carried out
evictions in 21 areas last year, affecting 8,715 people, mostly
poor families.
Edi and a number of UPC executives accompanied some 300
victims of evictions and those whose houses would be razed this
year in a protest at the Ministry for Settlement and Regional
Infrastructure in South Jakarta on Wednesday.
The people demanded that the ministry prevent Governor
Sutiyoso from continuing the evictions until alternative housing
has been provided for them.
The ministry's Director General for Housing and Settlement
Affairs, Sjarifuddin Akil, who met with the people, could not
give any guarantee "because such a policy was under the
autonomous authority of the city administration".
Edi said the evictees were unable to meet with Sutiyoso who
has repeatedly said that he would not allow people to stay in the
city who do not hold Jakarta identity cards.
Meanwhile, Akil revealed that the government had a program to
build one million houses this year across the country. He said
the ministry earmarked Rp 1.2 trillion (US$141.18 million) of its
Rp 11 trillion budget for the housing program.
Akil, however, could not specify what portion of the fund
would be allocated for the housing program in Jakarta, but said
that the ministry had also planned to improve housing in five
slums. He did not mention the areas.
"But the ministry would discuss the project further with
officials from the city administration," he added.
I-box
Areas scheduled for evictions in 2004
---------------------------------------------------------------
No. Places Number of affected families
---------------------------------------------------------------
1. Koja, Muara Baru 1,500
North Jakarta
2. Kebon Tebu, Muara Baru 1,500
North Jakarta
3. Tanah Merah, Plumpang 1,000
North Jakarta
4. Cakung 500
East Jakarta
5. Cipinang Besar Selatan 500
East Jakarta
6. Under Penjaringan toll road 2,000
North Jakarta
7. Bambu Larangan 1,500
West Jakarta
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Total 8,500
Source: Urban Poor Consortium (UPC)