Through their projects, especially green field developments, developers are opening up new frontiers and bringing progress to society.
Every developer, irrespective of size, market capitalisation for listed companies, financial strength and expertise, has a role to play and contribute towards enhancing the country’s property landscape and living environment.
Although the market is still quiet with very few new project launches, the lull in the market provides developers the perfect opportunity to review their project plans and enhance them with more resident-friendly features.
Whether they are high-, medium- or low-cost projects, developers should plan with an eye for quality and go the extra mile to turn them into wholesome neighbourhoods for the residents.
Ultimately, these projects will be homes to many families and equipping them with the necessary facilities such as good landscaping, sufficient social amenities, adequate recreational areas and comfortable common facilities for social interaction, will promote more friendly neighbours and interaction among the people.
Developers are certainly one of the frontliners that have the clout to institute the necessary changes through project planning to help realise the Government’s 1Malaysia vision of greater unity and caring towards one another.
With rising concerns on safety and security issues following the growing number of crimes in the country, gated and guarded housing projects are growing in popularity and more developers are moving into such developments to meet the rising demand.
However, it must be noted that such housing projects are also not fool-proof and there have been quite a number of break-ins and security breaches in those housing estates.
Even if these projects provide a sense of security and safety for residents, the issue is whether the residents of gated and guarded projects feel safe and secure when they step out of their housing enclaves. They should if crimes in the streets are kept at bay.
The good old ways of ensuring safety through good neighbourliness, closer interaction and looking out for each other’s well-being, which have been lost somewhat in this rat-race age, have been proven to be effective and should be revived.
Even if a project is low- or low-medium cost, the lower income groups deserve to enjoy good quality housing and facilities, as well as a secure and safe environment.
Developers should not just build these units to fulfil the low-cost housing requirements set by the authorities but should add value to these affordable homes.
Reducing the density and number of units of these projects will avoid overcrowding and reduce the chances of these projects turning into urban slums like what has happened to certain affordable projects.
Proper maintenance of the facilities including lifts, playgrounds and other shared facilities will ensure the comfort of residents.
To enable developers to contribute towards sprucing up these low-cost projects with better amenities and quality homes, it would be worthwhile for the Government to consider their calls to raise the low–cost housing ceiling price to RM60,000 from RM42,000 currently.
It would also be good to look into the model adopted in Sarawak where people-friendly housing schemes are being built to promote home ownership.
By working with a panel of financial institutions to offer preferential rates for such housing schemes, buyers only have to fork out affordable monthly repayment of less than RM300 for their housing loans.
And to overcome concerns of the many unoccupied low-cost houses in various parts of the country, developers and the authorities should avoid locations that are non-prime areas or inaccessible.
Due feasibility studies should be undertaken to ensure supply matches demand.
>Deputy news editor Angie Ng sees many opportunities for developers to shine through their value-enhancing capabilities to spruce up the living environment.
By The Star (by Angie Ng)
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