Prefabricated houses to be donated by Taiwan

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The International Buddhism Organization of Taiwan will donate 1,000 prefabricated houses for flood victims living along riverbanks whose houses were badly damaged during three weeks of flooding in late January and early February.

"The organization will provide the houses for free. They have conducted a similar project in Nepal," said Governor Sutiyoso on Tuesday at City Hall after meeting executives of the organization.

The city will provide the land while the organization will build the houses, each measuring 36 square meters. Each house, made of fiberglass, will have three bedrooms and a bathroom.

Although the organization is providing the houses for free, the administration plans to rent them at low rates to people living along the Ciliwung riverbank.

Sutiyoso said construction of the houses would begin within three months after the administration provided the land.

"If this project is a success, the organization has promised to build another 3,000 houses next year," he said.

Besides building the houses, city spokesman Muhayat said the organization, which will cooperate with a local Buddhist group here, also plans to build a hospital.

"We (the city administration) will provide the land for them," he said.

Contrary to the governor's statement, Muhayat said the houses would be used as shelters for street children due to limited land for houses.

"Most probably, the houses will serve as shelters for street children. As for the flood victims and people living along riverbanks, we'll build low-cost apartments," he said, adding that the land would not otherwise be enough to accommodate 50,000 people.