Full list of Penang's affordable housing projects

Commercial banks should be roped in to help the poor obtain loans for affordable housing.

Penang Housing, Town and Country Planning Committee chairman Jagdeep Singh Deo said the Federal Government should have a ‘speedy’ solution to solve the high number of loan applications which are rejected.

Commenting on Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan’s statement recently that the idea of forming a Housing Bank was mooted at the National Council on Local Government meeting chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin on Sept 18, he said it could be a ‘laborious’ process to form such a bank as it would involve a lot of legal issues.

“While we welcome such a move, there is a need for immediate solution to the high rate of loan rejection, which is more than 60% and the commercial banks could be in the best position to help,” he said.

Jagdeep said it did not make sense to build affordable houses if most of the buyers could not obtain loans from banks.

“The state government is stringent in vetting house applications as only the deserving ones are given approval.

“However, if they do not get loans it defeats the purpose of building these affordable homes,” he told a press conference.

Banks, he said, could loosen certain conditions to help approve loan applications and the Federal Government could instruct the banks to do so as it is only a policy issue which could be effected sooner compared with the setting up of a Housing Bank.

Real Estate and Housing Developer Association Penang chairman Datuk Jerry Chan, who was present, said banks need not worry that house buyers could default on their loans as the affordable housing is offered to buyers at a ‘reduced’ rate compared with the market price.

“The house will definitely appreciate over time and banks need not conduct ‘forced sale’ during auction,” he said.

Source: StarProperty.my