At least 50,000 housing units are needed by 2030 to cater to the growing population of Penang which is expected to reach 2.3 million.

State Housing Committee chairman Jagdeep Singh Deo (DAP-Datuk Keramat) said the conservative estimate was based on the calculation of four dwellers staying in a housing unit.

He said the state would be able to meet the demand, adding that the population of Penang was now 1.66 million.

“Through the Penang Development Corporation, we already have 14 projects in the pipeline comprising 26,220 affordable units in all the five districts here.

“The private sector is expected to contribute another 11,550 affordable units, giving us a total of about 38,000 units.

“There are other Federal housing projects, including the 1Malaysia People’s Housing (PR1MA) homes.

“So we will not have problems achieving the target. The biggest problem will be the high housing bank loan rejection rate,” he said when replying to a supplementary question by Yap Soo Huey (DAP-Pulau Tikus) during the oral question-and-answer session at the state assembly yesterday.

Yap had earlier asked whether there was a data analysis on the supply and demand of housing units in the state.

On another matter, Jagdeep said high-rise dwellers should pay their monthly maintenance fees so that there would not be a shortage of funds for major repairs and maintenance work.

“The maintenance fee collection at high-rise buildings nationwide is less than satisfactory.

“In Singapore, the maintenance collection is between 95% and 100%. It is solely the responsibility of the residents to keep their high-rise properly maintained.

“They do not rely on the government for such purposes. Perhaps, the local residents here should bear this in mind and change their mindset,” he said in his oral reply to Lim Siew Khim (DAP-Sungai Pinang) who asked about matters related to the maintenance fee collection faced by high-rise dwellers in her constituency.

Jagdeep said the state government had come out with several initiatives, including the 80:20 scheme under the Housing Assistance Programme of Penang Yes! (Happy!) and state Housing Maintenance Maximum 80% Fund (TMP80PP) to tackle such problems.

He said the Federal Government had also launched the 1Malaysia Maintenance Fund (TP1M) to give the high-rise buildings a much needed facelift.

Jagdeep said under the TMP80PP, the state government revised the eligibility criteria to include units priced up to RM150,000 and expanded the scope of work to include painting and road tarring as well as fixing corridor lights and staircase railing.

Previously, only projects with units priced up to RM72,500 were eligible to receive funds for maintenance and repair work involving lifts, water tanks, piping system and roof.

On a separate matter, state Welfare Committee chairman Phee Boon Poh (DAP-Sungai Puyu) said a piece of state land was transferred to the Federal Government for the construction of a rehabilitation centre for the homeless and beggars 15 years ago.

However, said that the centre has yet to be built.

He said the state government had been requesting the Government to build the centre on the 2.8ha land in south Seberang Prai for many years now.

“If it had been built 10 years ago, we might not have this recurring issue of homeless people and beggars,” he said when interjecting Shariful Azhar Othman (BN – Bertam) who was debating the state Budget 2017 at the state assembly meeting here yesterday.

Shariful in his speech had referred to a post on Penang Kini about vagrants and beggars being caught.

Phee interrupted Shariful to explain that they were not caught but rescued. He said the authorities carried out operations from time to time to find out if the homeless and beggars were genuine and needed assistance.