Task Force Leader Urges Local Governments to Expedite Data Collection for Permanent Housing Beneficiaries

The head of the Task Force for Acceleration of Rehabilitation and Reconstruction (PRR) following Sumatran disasters, Tito Karnavian, has stressed the importance of accelerating data collection for residents who will occupy permanent housing (huntap).

To this end, Tito has called on regional leaders to immediately accelerate the cataloguing of disaster victims who will occupy huntap. This was conveyed by Tito whilst attending the distribution of social assistance to disaster-affected communities in Idi Rayeuk, East Aceh Regency, on Monday (16 March).

According to Tito, clear data is a primary requirement for the central government to begin construction of permanent homes for affected communities.

“All regional heads are saying the same thing, asking for huntap to be built quickly. But the data must be clear first,” Tito said.

Regional leaders, he suggested, need to establish a dedicated team or task force to gather information on residents’ preferences regarding whether they wish to opt for the in-situ or communal scheme for huntap construction.

He explained that the in-situ scheme means homes are rebuilt on residents’ own land or property. Under this scheme, residents can choose to have their homes built by the government or construct them independently with funding assistance of approximately 60 million rupiah.

“Ask residents whether they want in-situ housing built by the National Disaster Management Authority (BNPB) or want to build it themselves with a subsidy of 60 million rupiah. But the land must be their own property,” he said.

The communal scheme, meanwhile, means residents will be relocated to newly developed housing complexes built jointly in designated areas prepared by the government.

For this scheme, local governments are requested to provide land that can be used as a development location, whether from local government land, central government land, state-owned enterprises, or through the purchase of community land at fair market prices.

“If there is no government land available, the government can also purchase privately owned land at a fair price,” he said.

Tito emphasised that residents’ preferences must be clearly documented through forms accompanied by written declarations so that the central government can determine the permanent housing development pattern.

“The faster the data on who wants in-situ housing and who chooses communal complexes, the easier it will be for us to coordinate huntap development,” he said.

He also reminded local governments to actively carry out field data collection rather than merely waiting for central government assistance.

“If there is no data, what is to be built? Communities are clamouring for huntap to be built but the local government is not taking action,” he said.

According to Tito, the development of permanent housing is an important step in the recovery of communities’ lives following disasters, after evacuees have previously been placed in temporary shelters or received housing rental assistance.