KUALA LUMPUR, July 14 — The government plans to use local income and housing demand data to set affordable home prices under the National Housing Policy 2026-2035.

Deputy Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Aiman Athirah Sabu said the ministry was finalising the policy as part of efforts to address rising prices and mismatches between housing supply and demand.

“However, the determination of affordable housing prices cannot be based solely on construction costs. Instead, it must consider the balance between the people’s ability to own homes and developers’ capacity to carry out housing developments,” she told the Dewan Rakyat today.

She was responding to Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman, who asked about measures to curb rising house prices and prevent excessive housing development that did not match local demand.

Aiman Athirah said the ministry had mapped affordable housing prices using state- and district-level median household income data from the Household Income and Basic Amenities Survey 2024.

The mapping used the median multiple method to determine affordable price ranges based on residents’ income levels in specific locations.

She said the ministry was also using data from the Department of Statistics Malaysia, the National Property Information Centre, the Malaysian Urban Observatory and other agencies to determine the type, location and number of homes needed.

“This approach enables housing developments to be planned based on the actual needs of residents according to states and localities.

“It also helps the federal and state governments determine the type, location and number of homes required so that development is better aligned with market demand and household affordability,” she said.

Aiman Athirah said the National Affordable Housing Council, chaired by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, coordinated housing policies between the federal and state governments and addressed strategic issues affecting affordable housing provision.