Indonesia Targets Construction of 3 Million Houses in the Next Five Years
By: Fahri Nur Huda )*
One of the major challenges in national development is providing decent, affordable, and sustainable housing for all levels of society. Especially for Low-Income Communities (MBR), a house is not only a place to live, but also a symbol of social stability and a lever for economic welfare. In this context, the government’s policy of targeting the construction of 3 million houses in the next five years is a strategic and monumental step. This program is not just an infrastructure project, but part of a major mission to realize social justice and equal welfare.
Member of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Hamka B. Kady, in his statement welcomed the optimism regarding the government’s breakthrough. He believes that the construction of 3 million houses is a real form of the state’s support for community groups who have so far faced difficulties in accessing decent housing. According to him, this program is not only important in terms of numbers, but also from its major social impact on reducing inequality and improving the quality of life of the community.
Similar optimism was also expressed by the Minister of Housing and Settlement Areas (PKP), Maruarar Sirait. He emphasized that this program is the result of integrated cross-sector policies, starting from financing, land acquisition, to synergy with local governments and the private sector. Maruarar wants to ensure that every house construction in this program really targets those in need, with the principle of sustainability and siding with the common people. In other words, this program is not just about building as many houses as possible, but also building a fair and inclusive housing ecosystem.
What makes this initiative even more promising is the huge investment support. Deputy Minister of PKP, Fahri Hamzah, revealed that there is a jumbo investment commitment worth US$5 billion or at least IDR75 trillion that has been disbursed to support the acceleration of house construction. This shows that the business world and investors also view this program as a promising and sustainable opportunity. An investment of this magnitude is not only about funds, but also reflects trust in the vision and direction of development being implemented by the government of President Prabowo Subianto.
Support for the 3 million housing program does not only come from the central government and the national business world, but also from the regional banking sector. One of them is bank bjb which has expressed its commitment to fully support this development target. Under the leadership of the elected President Director Yusuf Saadudin, bank bjb is ready to be an active part in providing access to decent housing for MBR, especially in the West Java region. Through the spirit of mutual cooperation, bank bjb will not only provide financing support, but also increase cross-sector synergy so that housing development is not hampered by technical obstacles.
This kind of commitment is very important considering the need for housing in Indonesia is still very large. As is known, the national housing backlog has reached more than 12 million units. This means that millions of Indonesian families still do not have a decent place to live. With a target of 3 million houses in five years, the government is at least trying to significantly reduce this figure. If this program runs smoothly and involves all elements of society and the business world, it is not impossible that the housing backlog can be drastically reduced.
However, challenges certainly remain. Land availability, licensing process, affordability, and readiness of supporting infrastructure in residential areas are important aspects that must be handled in an integrated manner. Therefore, synergy between ministries, local governments, developers, banks, and the community is the key to the success of this program. In addition, success cannot only be measured by the number of houses built, but also by their quality, accessibility, and social and environmental sustainability.
The government needs to ensure that every house built is not only physically habitable, but also has access to clean water, electricity, roads, schools, and health facilities. Without all of that, a house is just an empty building that has no leverage for welfare. Therefore, the concept of residential area development must prioritize the principles of integration and inclusivity, as emphasized by the Minister of PKP.
In the long term, the 3 million house development program will also have a major economic impact. The construction sector will move, jobs will be opened, and there will be an increase in demand for building materials and related services. This domino effect will contribute to inclusive national economic growth. Therefore, housing development is not only
