Set up commission to coordinate housing projects: Noh

PUTRAJAYA: A housing commission should be set up to coordinate all housing-related agencies under one roof to address various issues especially affordable homes, said Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government Minister Tan Sri Noh Omar.
He said currently there were several housing-related agencies being under the purview of different ministries such as the 1Malaysia People's Housing Project and the 1Malaysia Civil Servants Housing Project, under the Prime Minister's Department while Syarikat Perumahan Negara Berhad (SPNB) is under the Finance Ministry.
"It is time for us to focus on one (commission) as there are too many housing projects under the purview of various agencies," he said at the National Transformation 2050 (TN50) dialogue session with local authorities (PBTs) here today.
Prior to this, the National Professors Council had suggested the setting up of such a commission to regulate all housing-related matters.
On the TN50 dialogue session which was attended by over 600 PBT representatives nationwide, Noh said with nearly 80% of the population expected to live in urban areas by 2050, some crucial factors needed to be taken into account in ensuring PBTs would be able to play an effective role.
According to him, among the factors were development and management of human capital in the country, provision of excellent service to the people, lack of resources especially financial resources, sustainable urbanisation as well as the Industrial Revolution 4.0.
While among issues raised in the session were social problems that occurred at low-cost strata residence and the issue of coordination of acts and laws pertaining to local authorities between the federal and state governments. — Bernama