Guarding the People's Dream House

Home is a place where the heart feels comfortable. Although this saying is true, in reality people still hope to have a house with a solid physical building. Not to mention the taste for a dream house adds to the criteria for the house you want to own. Various efforts are often made, starting from participating in the mortgage program, paying in installments to the developer directly and so on. So on August 25 which is commemorated as National Housing Day, the government is still trying to get more and more households to actually own a house, especially a livable house. If you look at the 2020-2024 RPJMN, the government through the Ministry of PUPR is targeting 70 percent or around 11 million households that already have a decent house to live in. Accordingly, the theme of the Ministry of PUPR with Collaboration to Create Decent and Affordable Housing for All of Us is interesting to observe. There are four criteria for livable houses based on the indicators of the Sustainable Development Level, namely: durable housing (building resilience), adequate living area with a per capita area of ​​more than 7.2 square meters, ownership of access to drinking water, and ownership of access to proper sanitation. These four criteria serve as a reference for assessing whether a household already has access to decent housing. Decent housing in Indonesia in 2021 is still not evenly distributed in all provinces. According to data from the Central Statistics Agency from Susenas, there are still 3 provinces whose access to decent housing is still less than 50 percent. The provinces are the Bangka Belitung Islands, East Nusa Tenggara and Papua. Compared to 2020, there has been a positive improvement in terms of access to eligibility. Although there was no drastic increase, the increase in access to decent housing also increased in urban and rural areas, from 59.54 percent in 2020 to 60.90 percent in 2021.

Home Ownership, Everyone's Dream

A person who owns his own house is still often regarded as a symbol of stability in Indonesian society. Therefore, advertisements about housing with cheap credit have always been the target. This is also an extension of the government in increasing the level of livable housing ownership. BPS noted that households owning their own houses increased over the past decade, from 79.22 percent to 81.08 percent in 2021, with the largest proportion in rural areas, namely 90.35 percent. Whereas more than 50 percent of the population who work in urban areas should have more opportunities to own their own homes. The fact is not that. In addition to the more expensive housing prices in cities, the area of ​​settlements is also very limited. The fact is not that. In addition to the more expensive housing prices in cities, the area of ​​settlements is also very limited. Meanwhile, in terms of sanitation, BPS data noted that the group of households with the smallest development of 67.78 percent was only able to access houses with proper sanitation. This sanitation issue is quite important considering its influence on a healthy lifestyle. The concept that is feasible refers to the latest SDGs stating that the right house has access to defecation facilities (BAB), neck toilet, and has a final disposal site either in the form of a septic tank or directly dumped into a hole in the ground.

Public Housing, Government Synergize

In addressing the need for decent housing in both rural and urban areas, of course, the government cannot do it alone. The government needs to synergize with the private sector so that the housing procurement program for the people, especially those with low incomes, can be realized. So far, one of the solutions that has been widely discussed is the public housing discourse, which is inspired by the success of the neighboring country, Singapore. However, this is also still hampered by licensing problems and locations that are far from access to transportation. Though the discourse can really help people with low incomes. In addition, the target of livable houses in 2024 can also be realized. Therefore, there are several things that should be of concern.

First, the government needs accurate data regarding the difference in the number of households that do not have a home (backlog) so that there are no more wrong targets for the program.

Second, the synergy between the government and the private sector must be based on a clear agreement. So far, the government has not fully controlled property development for the people, especially since only a few private companies with large capital have controlled the land market. If possible, the government has a special area that can regulate the price mechanism for land.

Third, the government needs a clear blueprint regarding the mapping of housing development areas for the people so that the direction and financing can be clear and measurable.

Fourth, the government needs to find a win-win solution so that the housing program for small communities can continue to be successful without ignoring the risk factors for bad loans that are the scourge of every bank. Of course, we all hope that every government program aimed at the interests of the people will be successful and not only crowded at the beginning.