HBA urges the government to set up a data bank on housing projects

The National House Buyers Association (HBA) has urged the government to set up a data bank where information on affordable housing projects can be made available to the public.

HBA honorary secretary-general Datuk Chang Kim Loong said the data bank should contain information on projects under construction or planned by the various government or private housing providers, state economic agencies, federal bodies, and funding schemes.

"With the click of a button, one must be able to get the information required, such as information on type, location and price of the available units of the house or stratified properties.

"This will allow individuals to learn about the availability of those low, medium and affordable categories in their communities and the financing options available," he told Bernama today.

Yesterday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced a RM2.25 billion allocation as housing assistance for the poor and building another 500,000 units of affordable homes to enable more people from the B40 and M40 groups to own a house under the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP).

The government will also improve financing facilities including the Fund for Affordable Homes, Youth Housing Scheme and Rent-to-Own (RTO) programme to ease the burden of these groups in paying their instalments.

Chang said government agencies should not build an apartment block in a place where there is only demand for landed property or build houses in areas where there is no demand, as this would just add to the statistics of overhang properties.

Meanwhile, the Real Estate and Housing Developers' Association (REHDA) welcomed the government's efforts to give more attention on meeting the housing needs of the B40 and M40 groups in the 12MP.

"However, it should be remembered that the houses should be built in suitable locations based on demand," said its president Datuk Soam Heng Choon.