KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 25 — About 223,000 new housing units will be built by the government and private sector next year to allow more people in the low- and middle-income groups to own homes, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

Najib, who is also finance minister, said of the figure, 16,473 units would be built by the National Housing Department (NHD) through the People’s Housing Programme (PHP) with an allocation of RM578 million.

“The NHD will also build 600 units for rent through the PHP and People’s Integrated Housing Programme with an allocation of RM146 million,” said Najib while tabling the Budget 2014 at the Dewan Rakyat here today.

The houses under the PHP will be priced at between RM30,000 and RM35,000 per unit in the peninsula and RM40,500 per unit in Sabah and Sarawak.

Najib said 80,000 more housing units would be built through the 1Malaysia People’s Housing Programme (PR1MA) with an allocation of RM1 billion, and each unit would cost 20 per cent lower than the market price.

Syarikat Perumahan Negara Berhad (SPNB) will build 26,122 housing units comprising 15,122 Affordable Homes, 3,000 Dream Homes and 8,000 People-friendly Homes, he said.

“The government is also introducing a new category of affordable homes priced between RM45,000 and RM65,000 each, besides providing a subsidy of between RM15,000 and RM20,000 per unit,” said Najib.

The prime minister said to encourage the private sector to build more low- and medium-cost houses, the government would introduce the affordable housing private scheme or MyHome which entitled developers to a subsidy of RM30,000 per unit.

He said the MyHome was a new housing project with an allocation of RM300 million that would be supervised by the Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government ministry.

Najib said priority in the MyHome scheme would be given to developers who build low- and medium-cost houses in high-demand areas, and would be limited to 10,000 units.

The MyHome scheme is open to first-time buyers with a maximum household income of RM3,000 for the low cost and RM6,000 for the medium cost houses respectively, he said.

Najib said RM100 million would be set aside for the 1Malaysia Maintenance Fund to rehabilitate, and enhance the comfort and aesthetic aspect of government low-cost houses.

“Among the measures that would be undertaken are lift maintenance, repainting of the houses, clearing of drains and garbage dump sites and rehabilitating the playing field,” he said.

He said the government had also allocated RM82 million to rehabilitate 20 abandoned housing projects involving 8,197 houses.

Aside from that, Najib also announced the setting up of the National Housing Council entrusted to draw up a comprehensive strategy and action plan, coordinate the legal aspect and property price mechanism and ensure that the programmes were carried out more efficiently and expeditiously.

The Council members would comprise federal government agencies, state governments, the NHD, PR1MA, SPNB and the private sector, he said. — Bernama