U.S. foundation to build 1,000 low-income homes

M. Taufiqurrahman, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

A U.S.-based charity said on Sunday it would build 1,000 houses here over the next three years as part of its worldwide campaign to provide decent shelter for the poor.

Habitat for Humanity International said the "1,000 House Campaign" was being launched in Indonesia because of the large number of homeless people in the country.

"Many Indonesians are yet to have proper houses. Some of them have to live in drains and ditches, and we believe that everyone should live in dignity," Millard Fuller, founder and president of the foundation, said in a press briefing here.

As an initial step, the foundation will build over 100 houses in Sukakarya village, Bekasi regency.

"We will launch the program there tomorrow (Monday)," he said.

To secure a house, which are priced at Rp 12 million (US$1,429) each, low-income families must pay an interest-free installment to the foundation's local affiliate, which in turn will use the money to build other houses for the poor.

Aside from constructing the houses, the local affiliate will also launch a program called "Developing Independent Villages" to build and renovate hundreds of homes over the next few years.

Habitat for Humanity has built 150,000 houses in 92 countries for over 750,000 people. Since its establishment in 1997, the foundation has constructed over 200 houses for the poor in Jakarta, Bandung, Yogyakarta, Surabaya, Manado in North Sulawesi and Batam in Riau province.

Previously, Taiwan-based charity Tzu Chi Foundation built the Cinta Kasih apartments, a 1,100-apartment complex for low-income people in East Cengkareng, West Jakarta. The foundation's second project, which began in early February, is 600 low-cost apartments in Muara Angke, North Jakarta.

Residents of the apartments will have to pay rent of Rp 90,000 (US$10.70) a month plus utilities, which covers garbage collection, security and the maintenance of green areas.