Government to Build Housing Units for Indonesian Army Members

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Minister of Housing and Settlements Maruarar Sirait, or Ara, will build units for members of the Indonesian Army (TNI-AD), in collaboration with the Public Housing Savings Management Agency, or BP Tapera.

The construction will start at the end of January, said Ara, adding that his ministry will build 5,500 housing units in five locations. “As many as 1,900 units in Serang and in Bantul, Bekasi, Bogor, and Brebes,” said Ara in a written statement on Thursday, January 16. He also asked BP Tapera to prepare a quota for the Housing Financing Liquidity Facility (FLPP).

Army Chief of Staff General Maruli Simanjuntak responded positively to the plans and said he hopes the special housing units will help members of the Army who have yet to own proper housing. 

3 Million Housing Program

The government is trying to overcome backlogs and inadequate housing through a program of 3 million housing units per year. President Subianto has promised the program since the 2024 Presidential Election campaign period. Under the housing ministry, the government will build one million housing units in urban areas and two million units in rural areas.

Minister of Agrarian and Spatial Planning Nusron Wahid said he would use 77,297 hectares of abandoned land reserves plus 10,000 hectares of converted land for the 3 million house program. “There’s no problem with land availability for the 3 million housing units,” Nusron said through an official statement on Wednesday, January 8.

Previously, Nusron said the program would be conducted under the assumption that 60 square meters required 22,200 hectares of land. Although land availability is not a problem, Nusron said the topographic map and the road infrastructure are some of the issues to overcome. 

Meanwhile, the deputy chair of the Commission V of the House, Syaiful Huda, said the parliament is awaiting the program’s blueprint. According to the PKB politician, the House of Representatives (DPR) needs to know in detail the stakeholders involved and the financing scheme, including the incentive scheme from the government, as well as the required policies and regulations.

Previously, the deputy minister of housing and settlements, Fahri Hamzah, said the blueprint document would be submitted during a meeting with Commission V and is being prepared. “We are awaiting the invitation to meet with DPR,” he said on January 8.

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