‘Jakarta is not for the poor’

In the slums: Residents living in shacks built along the riverbanks using the river water for daily needs in Jakarta. — AFP

Scrolling on social media, Indonesian moviegoer Jessica Sihotang stumbled across a film depicting a fellow woman in her 30s struggling to make the dream of buying a Jakarta home a reality.Nearly two million like-minded Indonesians tuned in to watch the protagonist’s house-hunting journey when Home Sweet Loan was released last year, the movie’s producer said.

Residents of the megalopolis of 11 million are finding it impossible to climb the property ladder as space shrinks and prices rise, forcing them to seek faraway homes that come with arduous commutes.