PUBLIC RENTAL HOUSING (PRH) OPERATIONAL POLICIES AND HOUSING PATHWAYS IN KUALA LUMPUR

The Malaysian Government’s vision is to provide Malaysians of all income levels accessibility to adequate, affordable, and quality housing, particularly those from the low-income group (B40). For several decades, the Malaysian Government has played an important role in the provision of low-cost public housing by building houses either for sale or rent. In Kuala Lumpur, the administration of low-cost public housing is managed by Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur (DBKL). Recently, there has been a pressing need for more public rental houses in Kuala Lumpur, evident from the vast number of B40 applicants awaiting settlement. However, the number of vacant units for housing is very limited. The paper discusses the role of DBKL in shaping the public housing pathways by reviewing the current DBKL’s PPR Operational Policies. The paper is constructed based on policy review, as well as data from interviews with DBKL officials. The DBKL’s operational policies from the point of view of tenant “Enter” until “Exit” was mapped with the housing pathways. The study found a variety of operational policies that DBKL has implemented to ensure tenants’ successful transition in and out and are strongly influenced by the need to manage the waiting list and political pressure. The paper, which looks from the perspective of DBKL as a landlord, concludes with a preliminary recommendation on some ways DBKL can improve their tenancy management.