JOHOR BARU: The Johor government will introduce a new RM1,000 rental deposit assistance scheme to help those who may struggle with the upfront cost of renting a home, says Mentri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi.
He said the scheme, which is expected to benefit about 10,000 recipients, would be introduced alongside the state’s existing RM2,500 rental assistance.
“We have received requests from people asking the state government to consider helping with rental deposits, on top of the existing rental assistance.
“Those who have just started working, for example, may not have enough money to pay the deposit for a house.
“So, the state government, through the Johor Housing Development Corporation, will introduce a new scheme to help Johoreans with their rental deposits,” he said after officiating Phase Five of the Bantuan Perumahan Kasih Johor initiative.
Onn Hafiz said the scheme, which is expected to begin next year, would also be open to those who moved to Johor for work, particularly Federal civil servants serving in the state.
“This includes nurses, teachers, police personnel and possibly Armed Forces personnel who have moved to Johor to serve here.
“We consider anyone who helps develop Johor and serves in the state as part of the larger Bangsa Johor family.”
Meanwhile, on the event, Onn Hafiz said the fifth phase involved 6,000 recipients, with RM22mil in assistance.
He said another 5,000 recipients were expected to benefit when the sixth phase is rolled out next month.
“This is an effort that we will continue for the welfare of Bangsa Johor,” he said.
Earlier in his speech, Onn Hafiz said the state government was also looking at providing other housing assistance for Johoreans and civil servants that are based in the state.
“We are now coming out with more housing assistance for the public as we want to include them in Johor Budget 2027, which is expected to be tabled in November,” he said.
