AFFORDABLE housing was not left out in the 2014 Malaysian Budget. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak assured the rakyat that he would increase accessibility to home ownership by increasing the supply of affordable houses (roughly 20% below market price). He also mentioned the intended construction of around 223,000 units of new affordable houses in 2014. These projects will be handled by both the government and private sectors.

Besides the housing schemes and programmes detailed last week, here are two more of note.

PR1MA

PR1MA stands for Projek Perumahan Rakyat 1 Malaysia. This initiative was established under the PR1MA Act 2012, "to plan, develop, construct and maintain high-quality housing with lifestyle concepts for middle-income households in key urban centres." The scheme was officially launched by Najib in July 2011. It is managed by a corporation under the Prime Minister's Department. The corporation is led by its chairman Tan Sri Dr Jamaludin Jarjis and CEO Datuk Abdul Mutalib Alias, along with other members and a key management team.

Under PR1MA, is an affordable housing scheme offering various house types of different sizes built within integrated communities, designed to suit different household needs.

These homes are sold at between RM100,000 and RM400,000 and are open to all Malaysians earning a monthly household income (individual or combined) of between RM2,500 and RM7,500. Applicants must be aged 21 or above, single or married, and must own no more than one property individually or together with their spouse.

Houses under this scheme include freehold as well as leasehold property, depending on the land proprietor for each PR1MA development project. There are no registration charges or fees during application. There are also no third parties representing PR1MA. All houses under this scheme are not allowed to be sold for 10 years, to be owner occupied and not rented out.

LOCATION OF PROJECTS

PR1MA homes are available in these states: Johor, Perak, Perlis, Penang, Kedah, Kuala Lumpur, Labuan, Malacca, Negri Sembilan, Pahang, Putrajaya, Sabah, Sarawak, Selangor and Terengganu. House types include high-rise apartments and landed property. Here is a list of PR1MA housing projects soon to be released:

CENTRAL

Alam Damai, Cheras

Brickfields, KL

Bukit Jalil, KL

Jalan Bukit, Kajang, Selangor

Jalan Jubilee, Bukit Bintang, KL

Pandan Indah, Selangor

Pandan Jaya, Selangor

Seremban Sentral, Negri Sembilan

Seremban Utara, Negri Sembilan

Setapak, KL

Taman Bukit Cheras, KL

Taman Cempaka, Selangor

SOUTHERN

Bandar Layangkasa, Johor Baru

Tebrau, Johor

NORTHERN

Bayan Lepas, Penang

Bukit Gelugor, Penang

Slim River, Perak

Sungai Petani, Kedah

SABAH

Borneo Cove, Sabah

Inanam, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah

Sandakan City Centre, Sandakan, Sabah

HOW TO APPLY

Log on to the PR1MA official website and click on "apply". Click on "check now" if you are unsure if you are eligible to apply. If you are eligible, go to "create an account", fill up the form and press "send". On receiving a confirmation email from PR1MA, log into your account and activate your account by clicking the link in the email. Create a new password for security purposes and proceed with the registration process.

There is a list of required documents and necessary information that will be required. These include:

• Employment details

• LHDN income tax file number

• KWSP number

• Total average monthly gross income*

• Retirement number (only applicable for pensioners)

• Employment details of spouse (if any)

Current property information (if any)

• Address

• Size and type

• Purchase date

Documents for working applicants (to be attached to application)

• Copy of I/C

• Latest pay-slip or bank statement (latest month)

Documents for self-employed applicants (to be attached to application)

• Copy of I/C

• Latest bank statement

Note: Applicants that earn less than RM2500 will have to attach their bank statement as a supporting document with their pay-slip.

The average monthly gross income (or monthly household income) encompasses all forms of remuneration received from employment or a business. This includes wages, salary, commission, bonus, allowance, etc. It is calculated by totaling the income across the three months, prior to the submission, and is then divided into three.

Once applications are closed, the balloting process begins within a month from the closing date. Applicants are to check on the ballot results which will be posted on the PR1MA website. Successful applicants and those on the "reserved list" will be notified via SMS or email. Successful candidates will need to proceed with their loan applications on receiving their home allocation details. To make life easier, PR1MA has a home buyer assistance programme designed to help successful applicants who are unable to secure a housing loan from banks,

to own a PR1MA house (terms and conditions apply).

PKNS

Perbadanan Kemajuan Negeri Selangor, often referred to as PKNS, started off as a company building low-cost houses.

Through the years, it has established a name for itself in the property development industry. It now has under its real estate portfolio, a gleaming collection of various projects and developments, as well as businesses. Under its residential development portfolio are a variety of house types, including luxury homes and lifestyle-inspired gated townships, as well as affordable housing.

PKNS has a lot to offer under its affordable homes portfolio, but only to those who meet the requirements. Various housing schemes offer different house types located within Selangor. From 1 1/2-storey link houses to single-storey terrace units, apartments, flats and even townhouses, these spaces to make home of come in various sizes of between 700 sq ft to 1,000 sq ft. Houses costs around 20% below market value, between RM42,000 and RM250,000. Under the PKNS affordable housing schemes, houses can only be re-sold after five years.

Criteria for application:

For house type A

• Malaysian citizen

• 18-years and above

• Household income not exceeding RM3,000 a month

• Both husband and/or wife does not own a property in Selangor; applicants of low-cost houses can apply; singles with family obligations or those aged 40 and above may apply

• Purchase is for own use to stay and not to rent

• The property can only be re-sold after five years

• Must register with Selangor Housing and Property Board (Lembaga Perumahan Dan Hartanah Selangor- lphs.selangor.gov.my)

For house types B, C and D

• Malaysian citizen

• 18-years and above

• Household income between RM3,000 to RM8,000 a month depending on house type application

• Both husband and/or wife does not own a property in Selangor; applicants of low-cost houses can apply; singles with family obligations or those aged 40 and above may apply

• Purchase is for own use to stay and not to rent

• The property can only be re-sold after five years

• Must register with Selangor Housing and Property Board (Lembaga Perumahan Dan Hartanah Selangor - lphs.selangor.gov.my)

Log on to the official PKNS website or visit PKNS to find out more about the application process and required documents.

PROJECTS UNDER THE MAMPU MILIK SCHEME

There are projects on the drawing board until the year 2031, some already at various degrees of construction, spread out across Selangor.

Here are some of the areas where affordable and low-cost PKNS houses are available or being built:

• Hulu Selangor - Bandar Sungai Chik, Antara Gapi, Serendah, Hulu Selangor; Bernam Jaya; Rasa

• Klang - Jalan Datuk Md Sidin

• Petaling - Desa Alam Section U12, Shah Alam, Bukit Raja; Seri Embun Sutera Damansara, Sg Buloh; Section U10

• Sepang and Gombak - RKSR Bayu and Suria, Taman Emas, Dengkil, Sepang; Taman Sains Selangor 2; Kota Puteri; Bukit Botak

• Hulu Langat - Mampu Milik apartments, Sec 3, Bandar Baru Bangi; Sunville Phase 2 Cheras

• Other areas - Subang Bestari; Puncak Alam

Under the Rumah Selangorku scheme, there are houses available at Ukay Indah, Sg Sering in Gombak, Ulu Kelang.

To apply, first register with the Selangor Housing and Property Board (Lembaga Perumahan Dan Hartanah Selangor), log on to the official website at lphs.selangor.gov.my, fill up the form and all required details and submit. Applications are valid for three years from the date the projects are offered.