A Farmer's Dream In Cilacap Finally Realized To Have A Habitable House

Ganjar Pranowo (Photo via Central Java Provincial Government)

JAKARTA - Mahmudi (50) never expected to have a house like it is today. His job as a casual farm laborer makes the dream of having a decent house to live in is just a dream.

But Mahmudi found a glimmer of hope. The Governor of Central Java, Ganjar Pranowo has a community-based housing development program. In collaboration with the Cilacap Regency Government as a land provider, Ganjar built the house of Mahmudi and 28 other residents for free.

Mahmudi and other residents only spent Rp. 35 million to buy land. While building their houses, they received assistance from Ganjar, each Rp35 million. The houses are now finished and occupied. Ganjar came to see the community-based housing.

“The house is nice, clean and healthy. How are you sir? Isn't it comfortable living here?" asked Ganjar as stated in the statement from the Central Java Provincial Government, Sunday, May 29.

"Comfortable, sir, thank you very much, Mr. Ganjar," they said.

Mahmudi said that he works as a casual farm laborer. His income is between Rp. 100 thousand to Rp. 150 thousand.

“When I heard about this program, I immediately registered. Alhamdulillah, of the 200 (people) who registered and 29 were taken, I was one of them. This used to buy land for Rp. 35 million, and received assistance to build a house from the Central Java Provincial Government for Rp. 35 million, "said Mahmudi.

The house was bigger, nicer, and more comfortable than his old house. His house used to be small and not as good as it is today.

“My house used to be small, now thank God it's big. Yes, it's definitely better now. Hopefully it will be more prosperous," he concluded.

Meanwhile, Governor Ganjar Pranowo said this community-based housing program was very interesting. Because, the construction is done in a collaborative manner.

"So there is cooperation between citizens, district and provincial governments. Residents here bought about 80 meters of land for IDR 35 million, then we gave building assistance for IDR 35 million per house,” he said.

Seeing the development that has been done, Ganjar is happy because the quality is good. In addition, if surveyed, the welfare of this community immediately increases.

"We will continue to develop this so that more people can get decent houses. Not only modestly built, but with great quality. In Central Java, we have built 168 housing units using this method, and we will continue to develop it,” he concluded.

Head of the Central Java Housing and Settlement Service, Arief Djatmiko, said that by 2021, 186 residents had been built with this community-based housing development program. For 2022, the Central Java Provincial Government will again build 256 houses.

"The areas that have been built are Magelang, Cilacap, Brebes, Kendal, Jepara and Purbalingga," he said.