By Kurniawati Kamarudin
(This is the first of three articles on the government’s plan to build one million affordable homes over the coming decade as outlined in its National Affordable Housing Policy.)
Building one million affordable homes within 10 years is one thing but whether these units have the specifications and features that meet the requirements of the target groups is another.
The launch of the National Affordable Housing Policy by Housing and Local Government Ministry in May this year elicited a mixed response from stakeholders and industry experts.
The government’s target to build 100,000 affordable housing units a year over the next 10 years was viewed as unrealistic by some due to constraints such as securing the necessary approvals for the building plans and finding suitable sites for the projects.
Others, however, are confident that the affordable housing plan, aimed at the low-income (B40) and medium-income (M40) groups, would succeed if the federal and state governments and housing developers join forces to implement the projects.
To allay fears that the affordably-priced houses may be of substandard quality, as well as cramped and compact, the Construction Research Institute of Malaysia (CREAM) has been given the task of creating layout designs that meet the requirements of the targeted buyers.
CREAM was incorporated in March 2004 as the research and development arm of the Construction Industry Development Board Malaysia, a statutory body under the Ministry of Works.
CREAM technical expert Prof Dr Zuhairi Abd Hamid told Bernama the institute carried out research for three years to produce designs that suited the predetermined sizes of the affordable units.
The minimum sizes for the strata (high-rise) and landed units are 900 sq feet (83.6 sq metres) and 1,000 sq feet (92.9 sq metres) respectively. Their prices will range from RM150,000 to RM300,000, depending on their location.
“Being 900 sq ft and 1,000 sq ft in size, the units are not big, so we had to keep comfort in mind when designing the houses, which will certainly not be anything like those congested and cramped squatter houses,” he said.
CREAM has proposed two designs, namely Divergent Dwelling Design (D3) and Deprogramming Low-Income Group Housing Through Technology and Innovation (DeLIGHT).
According to Zuhairi, both designs have addressed issues often raised by unhappy house buyers, namely lack of comfort, space and security features.
The D3 design, he said, is inspired by the kampung house which usually features three components —the main house itself, verandah and garden.
The design allows for lower indoor temperatures, as well as optimises natural ventilation and lighting. It also allocates space for urban or vertical farming, a sustainable agricultural practice in an environment with limited land.
“Vertical farming is suitable for strata units. The D3 concept provides space for growing plants, thus creating a peaceful atmosphere (for the owners),” said Zuhairi.
He said from the feedback they had received, the young generation like the D3 design as they found it practical and suited their tastes.
The first affordable housing project to use the D3 design — Harmoni Elmina, City of Elmina, in Shah Alam — was launched by Housing and Local Government Minister Zuraida Kamarudin in May. It is being developed by Sime Darby Property Bhd.
The D3 concept is a product of the collaboration among CREAM, Sime Darby Property and G&A Architects. The design is set to be patented soon.
The DeLIGHT design for the 900 sq ft and 1,000 sq ft units, meanwhile, focuses on efficient use of space and is suitable for strata units, as well as single-storey and double-storey terrace houses and townhouses, said Zuhairi.
He said before developing DeLIGHT, they studied several People’s Housing Projects to find out the shortcomings of their housing units. Lack of ventilation, inadequate natural lighting and cramped interiors are some of the grouses of the residents of these units.
DeLIGHT is an improved version of the layout of these units as CREAM had used their findings as a guide when creating the design.
“DeLIGHT is designed for families and to make it more comfortable for them, it features at least two bathrooms and three bedrooms. We want to change the negative perception people have about affordable housing in Malaysia,” said Zuhairi.
The DeLIGHT concept will have to undergo cost and engineering evaluations before it can be used for the construction of affordable housing units, he added.
Zuhairi also pointed out that in order for the government to realise its target of building 100,000 affordable units a year, there has to be closer cooperation among all the agencies concerned, particularly the local authorities.
Malaysia has 140 local authorities with all of them having different approval processes for building plans.
“For example, Shah Alam and Klang are located in the same state (Selangor) but (Shah Alam City Council and Klang Municipal Council) follow different procedures when we submit an application (for the approval of a project plan),” he said.
He added that to date none of the local authorities have standard procedures and “green lanes” to speed up the approval of pre-approved plans (PAP).
PAPs are for structures that are built repeatedly, where the design and construction are not expected to vary greatly from site to site.
CREAM, said Zuhairi, has also proposed that the local authorities make allowances for the speedy approval of PAPs for affordable housing projects, citing as an example the D3 concept building plan for the project currently being carried out by Sime Darby Property in City of Elmina, Shah Alam.
Since this building plan has already been approved by the Shah Alam City Council, other local authorities should therefore expedite the approval process for similar D3 affordable housing projects in locations under their jurisdiction.
“For example, if a D3 project is to be implemented in Ipoh, by right its city council need not have to spend time scrutinising the building plan closely because it has already been approval by the Shah Alam City Council.
“Under normal circumstances, it takes (the local authority) about two months just to check the drawing. This will delay the start of construction work,” he said, adding that the authorities concerned should give priority to the development of affordable housing projects to enable the government to meet its target.
Meanwhile, a senior lecturer at the School of Social Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia Associate Prof Dr Nor Malina Malek said the National Affordable Housing Policy, in principle, reflected the government’s commitment to meet the needs of the people.
However, she said, the one million units target may not resolve the real problems hounding the issue of affordable homes.
According to Nor Malina, the main challenge is not the quantity of houses to be built but ensuring that the quality of the homes meets the requirements of the people in the low- and middle-income brackets.
She said the affordable housing issue not only involved buyers but also other stakeholders, including housing developers and government agencies.
“In order to resolve the issues concerning affordable housing, all the parties concerned must cooperate more closely and be more considerate and transparent.
“They must look into the type of houses that need to be built and the sites (for the affordable housing projects) and ask themselves if the locations and size of the homes suit the needs of the targeted buyers and whether or not the house prices will be a burden them,” she added. – Bernama
