Two Schemes for Permanent Housing Construction for Flood Victims
The Task Force for Accelerating Post-Disaster Rehabilitation and Reconstruction in Sumatra is preparing two schemes for building permanent housing for disaster victims in Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra. The task force chair, Muhammad Tito Karnavian, claimed that the government will accelerate the construction of permanent housing after Eid al-Fitr 1447 Hijriah.
“I, along with the Minister of Housing and Human Settlements Maruarar Sirait, will coordinate with local governments,” Tito said in a written statement on Sunday, 22 March 2026.
Tito targeted the construction process to proceed in parallel at several locations that are already ready administratively and technically. Flood-affected residents who have lost their homes, Tito said, must quickly regain decent accommodation.
The government is using two models for permanent housing construction: in situ or at the original location, and communal. The in situ scheme allows the government to rebuild residents’ homes at their original settlement sites. The requirement is that the land must be declared safe from potential future disasters. This model is considered more efficient because it does not require relocation and allows residents to remain in their original social environment.
The agencies responsible for implementing the in situ scheme include the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB). In Bireuen Regency, Aceh, the local government has proposed building 365 permanent housing units using this method. It is currently awaiting the realisation stage.
Meanwhile, the communal scheme involves relocating residents to new areas designated by the government. For this communal scheme, the government builds new settlements on a plot of land to accommodate residents from areas that are no longer habitable, such as flood- or landslide-prone zones.
The Ministry of Housing and Human Settlements is one of the entities responsible for constructing housing under the communal scheme. This model is considered to better ensure long-term safety aspects, although it requires social adjustment for the relocated residents.
The government will build more than 36,000 permanent housing units in North Sumatra, West Sumatra, and Aceh. As of March, 110 houses have been completed, and another 1,359 units are still under construction. During the construction process, the government is providing temporary housing and a Housing Waiting Fund (DTH) of Rp 1.8 million for flood victims.