The Ministry of Housing and Local Government has established a Housing Integrated Data System to help it identify the demand for and supply of affordable housing nationwide.

Its minister, Zuraida Kamaruddin told theSun that the ministry had encountered difficulties in obtaining information such as income levels by location and other data that are relevant to housing supply and demand.

“Malaysia does not have a complete database containing information on supply and demand for housing according to the report by Bank Negara (in 2017),“ Zuraida said.

Such data would help the ministry to gauge and adjust the supply of houses to meet the demands according to location.

The absence of such information could contribute to high numbers of residential overhang.

“The federal government through the Ministry of Housing and Local Government is working closely with relevant ministries and agencies to identify issues and problems involved for the provision of one million affordable homes,“ she said.

“Comprehensive housing data is essential to identify the demand and supply of affordable housing in Malaysia. The proposal for the data system has been agreed upon during the first meeting Majlis Perumahan Mampu Milik Negara (MPMMN) Bil. 1/2019 held on the Jan 8, chaired by Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.”

Zuraida also said prior to the meeting, the ministry liaised with the National Property Information Centre for such data and it is planning to get other housing development agencies involved in the affordable housing plan.

“We will expand these engagement sessions with other relevant agencies as well such as the Inland Revenue Board and the Department of Statistics Malaysia in assisting the Ministry to develop a reliable and comprehensive housing database,“ she said.

Source: TheSunDaily.my