People’s housing affordability needs to be improved -Karim

March 30, 2013

ABDUL Karim (centre), assisted by SHEDA President Haji Zaidi Ahmad (left) and Secretary-General
Sim Kiang Chiok, cutting the ribbon to declare open the SHEDA Home and Property Road Show.

KUCHING: The state’s housing industry needs to improve the housing affordability for all Sarawakians, said Assistant Minister of Housing Haji Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.

“This will require policies to increase the supply and diversity of new housing units and to keep pace with population growth and changes.

“In addition, the industry requires specific response to provide assistance to lower-income households to access home ownership and rental opportunities,” he said when officiating at the opening ceremony of Sarawak Housing and Real Estate Developers Association’s (SHEDA) Home and Property Road Show Kuching 2013 at the Boulevard Shopping Mall here, yesterday.

Abdul Karim said the state government’s vision was to achieve such goals by building the capacity and working with the private sector to adopt the right housing policies that would spark innovation and meet the needs of the people.

“Our future aim is to create affordable housing and build a capacity that responds to the changing housing needs of the people by providing choices and strengthening community resilience,” he said.

He added that the focus on environmentally sustainable construction of homes would help to reduce living costs and protect the environment as well as the quality of life.

“This extends beyond efficiency of water and energy, and includes construction materials and processes as well as the locations of our homes,” said Abdul Karim.

He pointed out that people’s preferences for housing were changing and the main motivation for movement in the housing market was consumption, with households moving to better neighborhoods.

“Therefore, new housing development, both public and private ones, must take into account the needs and expectations of the customers.

“I believe that this road show will showcase some of these new ideas and concepts in housing designs that would help promote more comfortable and healthy living,” said Abdul Karim.