GEORGE TOWN: Penang is hoping to get some 7,000 units of the Poor People’s Housing (PPR) project at Jelutong, next to Lebuhraya Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu here.

State Housing Committee chairman Jagdeep Singh Deo said the state government had applied to the Federal government to build the PPR units on two 4ha state government-owned land and a 14ha Federal government land.

He said the state government had received a positive reply from the Local Government, Wellbeing and Housing Ministry over the application to build the units on the 4ha state government land.

“Local Government, Wellbeing and Housing Minister Tan Sri Noh Omar had sent us a letter informing us that they will consider our application to build the PPR units.

“This is good news for us,” he said during a press conference here today.

In the letter addressed to Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, Noh said a technical visit to the site offered by the state would be held to see if it were feasible to build a PPR project there.

“Once the site has been found to be suitable, the ministry will formally ask for the land to be transferred to the National Land Commissioner.

“After which, we will proceed to apply for allocation from the Economic Planning Unit, Prime Minister’s Department,” the letter read.

Jagdeep said the letter did not mention its application to build PPR units on the 14ha Federal government-owned land.

“This is probable due to the fact that we had first sent an application identifying the two 4ha plots of land and sent another letter later identifying the 14ha land.

“So, we are hoping that they would also consider the 14ha land for PPR units during their technical visit,” he said.

Jagdeep said Penang had the lowest number of PPR units with 698 units to date.

“Even though Penang is one of the top income tax contributors with nearly RM6 billion paid to the Federal government in income tax, we have the lowest number of PPR units,” he said.

He said if the Federal Government approved and built the 7,000-odd PPR units, the state government would be able to solve the housing woes of some 2,000 families on the waiting list for the PPR units.

“For low-cost units, the state government allows a density of 180 units on per acre. So, based on that calculation we can see some 7,000 units of PPR units. I hope the Federal Government can build the units for us and that this is not just a election promise,” he said.

PPR housing typically ranges from 600 sq ft to 700 sq ft per unit and priced between RM30,000 and RM35,000 per unit.

These units are exclusively built and offered by the Local Government, Wellbeing and Housing nationally, offered to those earning a combined household income of RM3,000.

Jagdeep said the state government had given priority to those with a RM1,500 household income.

“We will first provide the units to those earning RM1,500 before considering those earning RM3,000.” he said.