Owning a home is a keystone of wealth
– both financial affluence and emotional security.
Let me suggest that you pause for a moment and imagine you are homeless. How would you feel, how do you survive and the ultimate question – will your desperate situation drive you to contemplate taking your own life at times?
I think it is not difficult to understand how the homeless feel, the suffering they have to go through each day and the sense of hopelessness inside them even if we have never been put in such a situation.
Most of us would have come across homeless people living in the streets or under flyovers in bigger cities like Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Johor Baru, and elsewhere.
I doubt I had seen many homeless folks in my dear Kuching city in years gone by, except for a few vagrants, but I’m not so sure of the situation today. Kuching is basically a “clean” city and I hope it stays that way.
The next time, you meet a homeless person on the street, talk to him and you will surely learn that the feeling of homelessness can be deeply distressing and multifaceted.
It’s truly challenging to be homeless as it encompasses a range of emotional, physical and psychological experiences.
Firstly, there is this constant worry about personal safety, where to sleep and how to find the next meal.
Then, there is anxiety about the future and feelings of embarrassment and shame, often exacerbated by societal stigma and discrimination.
This is the key reason why the homeless choose social isolation. Of course, there is that inescapable persistent sadness and a sense of hopelessness, feeling trapped in the situation with no way out.
I was reading about the PPR (People’s Housing Project) participants in the Klang Valley profiting by renting out subsidised homes this week, hence, this subject on the homeless and housing.
It is indeed disappointing to learn that some PPR home owners have been abusing the project meant to help the B40 group. This is not uncommon and I’m glad to learn that the Ministry of Local Government and Housing is now investigating the abuse. About time the authorities do so as this has been going on for quite a while.
The PPR is an initiative by the government to provide income earners under the B40 category to find a home and eradicate squatter areas in the country. There are: PPR Homes for Ownership: Each PPR home is open for sale at RM35,000 in Malaya and RM42,000 in Sabah and Sarawak.
Such being the case, those who have emerged out of the B40 category and no longer needed the PPR homes as their abode should be prepared to let go of the property to other families who needed it.
Those who have been blessed with more today should be grateful for the assistance from the government in the past and in turn, help others in need. Otherwise, the government would have to build more and more PPR flats which are small, crowded and not that conducive for big families.
According to reports, some participants of the PPR are collecting profits of up to RM1,000 per month by renting out their government-subsidised homes, especially in the Klang Valley.
The PPR initiative allows these homes to be purchased at around RM35,000 per unit. The government pays over RM240,000 in subsidies. It is understood that the maximum monthly financing payment for this home is RM300, for a period of 15 years.
I concede I’m unfamiliar with PPR projects in Sarawak and whether such abuse is happening there too. I hope not.
However, I can recall the long queue of applications for the popular KMC Flats in Ban Hock Road, Kuching, built during the colonial era for the urban poor.
The common complaint was that the tenants, who were no longer classified as “urban poor” after their livelihood had improved over the years, refused to move out for other deserving cases.
What I’ve learnt of late is that many of the units are unoccupied because of wear and tear, making them uninhabitable.
However, it is my sincere hope that the KMC Flats, known as Kuching’s foremost welfare heritage site, will not be demolished but given a facelift instead. The flats should remain and continue to serve the city’s poor and needy.
Seriously, I have to say this – it is part of the government’s responsibility to ensure that all citizens have a decent roof above their heads.
“A roof over our head” is a simple yet profound expression highlighting the basic human necessity for shelter. Shelter is one of the primary needs essential for survival, along with food, water and clothing.
It must be noted that housing stability allows individuals and families to focus on other aspects of their lives, such as education, employment and personal development.
It plays a significant role in economic stability and growth by reducing the costs associated with homelessness and housing insecurity.
Therefore, it is imperative that the government helps all to have a roof above their head. I would place a home as the second most important need after food.
The views expressed here are those of the columnist and do not necessarily represent the views of Sarawak Tribune.
