Govt strengthens data-driven housing planning, revives 1,615 ailing projects
NST Business Time, 14 July 2026
The Housing and Local Government Ministry (KPKT) is also mapping affordable housing prices using median household income data by state and district based on the 2024 Household Income and Basic Amenities Survey by DOSM. —Bernama
KUALA LUMPUR: The government is strengthening the housing sector through data-driven planning to ensure homes are developed based on actual public needs, while addressing rising house prices and the mismatch between housing supply and demand.
Deputy Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Aiman Athirah Sabu said the evidence-based planning approach uses data from the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM), the National Property Information Centre (NAPIC), the Malaysian Urban Observatory (MUO), as well as housing supply and application data from various agencies.
She said the use of such data enables the government to plan housing development based on residents' actual needs by state and locality, including determining the type, location and number of homes to be built according to market demand and household affordability.
"This approach is further strengthened through the National Affordable Housing Council, chaired by the Prime Minister, to coordinate affordable housing policies at the federal and state levels, monitor the implementation of initiatives and resolve strategic issues related to the provision of affordable housing," she said.
She was responding to a question from Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman (MUDA-Muar), who asked about the government's measures to curb rising house prices and prevent uncontrolled housing development during Question Time in the Dewan Rakyat today.
Aiman Athirah said the government had also implemented various measures to address delayed, sick and abandoned housing projects, including the establishment of the Special Task Force (STF) on Delayed, Sick and Abandoned Private Housing Projects in December 2022.
She said that as of May 2026, a total of 1,615 housing projects involving 190,422 housing units, with a gross development value (GDV) of RM150.8 billion, had been successfully revived.
She added that the government was finalising the National Housing Policy 2026-2035, which, among other things, would adopt a more dynamic approach to setting affordable housing prices based on local data.
The Housing and Local Government Ministry (KPKT) is also mapping affordable housing prices using median household income data by state and district based on the 2024 Household Income and Basic Amenities Survey by DOSM.
Responding to a supplementary question from Syed Saddiq on renovation and maintenance costs borne by first-time homebuyers, she said the government also takes into account overall housing affordability, including access to financing.
"Through the Housing Credit Guarantee Scheme (SJKP), the government provides a guarantee of up to 120 per cent of the value of a house, with the additional 20 per cent available to cover renovation costs and related expenses," she said.
—Bernama
(Web source: https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2026/07/1488544/govt-strengthens-data-driven-housing-planning-revives-1615-ailing)