BUTTERWORTH: A total of 174 families in Penang's Kampung Manis will receive free replacement homes under a redevelopment project after decades of waiting.
State Housing and Environment Committee chairman Datuk Seri S. Sundarajoo said the Rumah Mutiaraku project was a collaboration between the Railway Assets Corporation (RAC), the Penang state government and a developer.
He said the replacement homes would measure 850 sq ft, compared with the 650 sq ft typically offered for low-cost housing.
"These homes are valued at RM350,000 to RM400,000 at market prices, but they will be given free to the 174 families still living in the area," he told reporters after a signing ceremony.
Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow and RAC chief executive officer Datuk Azhar Ahmad attended the ceremony.
Sundarajoo said another 53 families with historical ties to Kampung Manis but who no longer lived there permanently would also have the opportunity to obtain similar homes for RM150,000 through a rent-to-own scheme.
Residents who must move temporarily to make way for construction will receive RM700 a month in rental assistance from the developer until their new homes are completed. They will have to find their own rental accommodation.
Sundarajoo said the developer had 24 months from the date of plan approval to complete the project. Residents were asked to move out earlier to allow construction to proceed smoothly and reduce the risk of accidents at the site.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd