PENANG said today it had fulfilled all of its housing pledges a little more than two months since winning the 14th general election.

In its election manifesto, the Pakatan Harapan state government pledged to supply 75,361 low-cost, low-medium cost and affordable homes, and build public housing projects for rent.

These promises, housing exco Jagdeep Singh Deo said, have been met, adding that the state has even breached the numbers of homes to be offered.

Before the May 9 elections, 25,555 units had been built with another 19,828 units under construction and 29,978 units approved to be built.

The numbers have since increased to 28,442 completed units, 22,065 under construction and 30,097 units to be built.

“Within the current term, Penang will build a total 80,604 low-cost, low-medium cost and affordable homes,” he told a press conference today.

Jagdeep also announced that Local Government and Housing Minister Zuraida Kamaruddin agreed, in principle, to hand over two PPR (people’s public housing) projects to the state government for the rent-to-buy scheme.

The two projects in Mak Mandin (70 units) and Kg Tok Suboh (231 units) have already been completed.

“It’s a done deal. The units in these two projects will be offered to tenants who will pay rent for a number of years before eventually becoming the owners.

“This concept will overcome the high loan rejection problem that makes it difficult for those in the lower-income groups to own homes,” Jagdeep said.

The state government, he said, has also delivered its promise to continue maintaining all public housing schemes, taking care of all repairs for private low-cost and low-medium cost scheme using the Penang maximum 80% housing maintenance fund.

Before GE14, the state dealt with 153 applications and 243 projects, spending RM21.4 million. After the elections, the number increased to 162 applications and 267 projects, and RM23.3 million.

“The increase in the figures shows that we are continuing efforts to maintain the buildings.” – July 20, 2018.