Affordable housing in Penang is within reach as 3,396 eligible applicants were offered in the last six months, says state Housing Development Committee chairman, Jagdeep Singh Deo.

In stressing this, he said the allegation by a daily newspaper yesterday titled “Cheaper homes out of reach”, was not only mischievous but also did not do justice to the needy and eligible applicants.

“The allegation is inaccurate and not a reflection of the actual position of the state government which has and will continue to prioritise the provision of affordable housing for deserving and eligible Penangites,” he told a press conference, here, today.

On the eligibility criteria for affordable housing, he said firstly, the applicants should not own a property but might be considered if they were upgrading from a low or low-medium cost unit.

“Secondly, there is an income cap, which is a total household income (applicant and spouse) of RM6,000, RM8,000 and RM10,000 for the RM200,000, RM300,000 and RM400,000 units respectively.

“The household income cap as stated is the nett and not gross income as reported in the newspaper, while deductions of Employees Provident Fund (EPF), Social Security Organisation (SOCSO), mandatory insurance and income tax are taken into account.”

Besides, he said, an applicant had to be a Penangite, a registered voter and working in Penang or if not a Penangite, must show proof of employment for the last five years and be a registered voter.

For a non-local, an applicant can show he/she is contributing economically to the Penang economy by working here with proof of employment over the last five years, subject to compliance and consideration.

Source: Bernama