Bakrie Land, Dream, Deliver

My House is My Heaven

Basic human needs, as we’ve learned in elementary school, generally consist of food, clothes and shelter. Then comes the secondary needs, health and education, followed by the tertiary need of   recreation. 

Currently, the goverment plays a big role in fulfilling people’s needs for food and clothes through such programs as “Self-Sufficiency in Food”  (Swasembada Pangan) and “Affordable Cooking Oil” (Minyakita).

The government has also placed education and health as primary needs. The general awareness on the importance of education and health in the provincial areas is reflected through the government’s concern in providing free tuition fee and health benefits. The government has allocated 20 percent of the national state budget for education.

As for recreation, perhaps there’s no need to discuss further.  We can simply look at the malls springing up in all corners of the big cities, where thousands of people daily go in and out for entertainment and shopping. Often, during weekends and holidays, Jakarta’s streets are not as packed as on other days, but Bogor, Bandung and other surrounding tourist areas are filled with Jakarta license-plated vehicles.

How about the supply of housing units? Up until now, as a property industry practitioner, I believe the government has not completely been able to provide the required supply of housing units. As one of the main programs, housings have been more of the responsibility of property developers as well as banks through their house loan programs.

Nevertheless, I believe that government has seriously prioritized to fulfilling people’s needs for health and education facilities and services. However, development in the health and education sectors could not be maximized – or it can even be useless – without taking serious attention in resolving the main problems of insufficient supply of housing units and decent living environment.

Currently, there is a backlog for the need of 8 million housing units. Some 800,000 to 1 million housing units are needed every year, meanwhile the property industry has only the ability to build 200,000 to 300,000 units new houses. Such backlog of more than 500,000 units occur annually. Uncontrollable price hikes often happen. Those who cannot afford to buy houses with such high price would have to shift to living in the suburbs with the risk of long travel time into and out of the town center.  Exhaustion and stressful daily routines seem to be a common matter now as lack of public transportation and its increasing price are unavoidable. 

I believe the current problems on housing and the environment need to be seriously resolved by all parties together with the government. Unhealthy housing and environmental conditions have resulted numerous negative effects. Imagine how people live in vile homes and detrimental environments, causing residents liable towards various diseases and disorders that can result in low productiveness and affect their daily activities.

The lack of open space and playground facilities as well as amenities for community social interaction have caused some great effects. Years ago, it seemed easier to do some sports and interact with neighbors in parks and around the housing complex. But now, public area and green open space are becoming rare properties.

Children are also more and more at stake where they now have more limitations to be able to play.  With their excess energy, yet under unhealthy living environment, have made children now feel more and more uncomfortable to staying at home and play.  Instead, they prefer to go to malls to keep up with today’s pastime for games and other amusement options.  Such phenomenon is one root that transforms into today’s consumerism slaves and emotional buyers. Un-channeled energies such as this may trigger ignited emotions that frequently clash each other.

The adults are not any different. Clashes between community members often occur out of simple nudge on the rearview mirror on motorcycles. Mixed feelings of distress, anger and dissapointment with extreme exhaustion may easily be caused by the lack of comfortable rest-time at home.

Many times I reminisce back to the early years of my marriage, as a newlywed with a house of my own. Everything seemed so beautiful and peaceful, a place to rest from the daily stress, interact with neighbors and do many other activities. I strongly believe that everyone has the right to claim baiti janah (my home is my heaven).

Obviously the property sector will have to pay serious and integrated attention together with the government in order to achieve targeted parameters in the health and education sectors in terms of time and quality. On the other hand, without the support of the property sector, development  targets in such essential areas as in the health and education sectors may not be achieved as quickly.   

A home with a good and healthy environment is the primary need to a healthy family life, which in turn becomes the basis of a healthy and prosperous society. And such a society is the main asset for a healthy, strong and prosperous nation.