JOHOR BARU: Johor has stepped up enforcement against developers who fail to deliver affordable housing, in a move aimed at improving access to home ownership for locals.
The state has also expanded its housing assistance under the Perumahan Kasih Johor programme.
Mentri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi (pic) said housing remains one of the key pillars under the Maju Johor 2030 agenda, which seeks to ensure no Johorean is left behind as the state continues to develop.
“When the revenue increases, it becomes our responsibility to return that prosperity to the rakyat through meaningful initiatives such as housing assistance,” he said at an event for the second phase of the Perumahan Kasih Johor project here yesterday.
He said more than 2,000 recipients benefited under the latest phase, which includes monetary assistance, moving and rental support.
Under the scheme, first-time home buyers receive RM5,000 for the purchase of residential units priced below RM300,000 while those moving into their first homes are entitled to RM2,000 for utility deposits and basic furnishing expenses.
Onn Hafiz said the state is also considering extending assistance to bumiputra buyers in the M40 group for the purchase of properties between RM300,000 and RM650,000 and to addressing the issue of unsold bumiputra units in the market, among others.
State housing and local government committee chairman Datuk Mohd Jafni Md Shukor said 2,506 recipients were approved under the second phase, which involved an allocation of RM10.5mil.
He said the first two phases of the programme have benefited 3,526 recipients, with a total allocation of RM14.9mil.
He said the state has also expanded its rental assistance scheme to support more middle-income households affected by rising living costs.
The one-off rental aid has been increased from RM2,000 to RM2,500, while the household income ceiling has been raised from RM5,000 to RM10,000 a month.
The rental eligibility cap has also been revised from RM1,500 to RM2,500, allowing more tenants in high-cost areas such as Johor Baru to qualify.
Mohd Jafni said only about 20% of bumiputra lots priced above RM300,000 in Johor Baru have been sold despite a 15% discount offered to eligible buyers, noting that many people were unaware that the assistance is not limited to Rumah Mampu Milik Johor below RM300,000.
He added that the state has also tightened its housing policy to ensure developers fulfil their obligations to build affordable homes.
“Developers are now required to complete their affordable housing components before being allowed to proceed with subsequent phases of their projects.
“If they fail to do so, the state can place a caveat on their development, which means they cannot proceed with sales,” he said.
The Bukit Permai assemblyman said five major developers were subjected to such action last year, with only two having since resolved their obligations.
Another 20,000 units are in the pipeline and expected to be completed by 2030.
Johor aims to deliver 100,000 affordable homes by 2030 under its long-term housing plan.
