THE Ministry of Housing is currently implementing the Longhouse Loan Scheme which will provide a loan amounting to RM10,000 for each applicant for the repair or construction of their longhouses.
According to Assistant Minister of Housing Datuk Francis Harden Hollis, the loan was given through the purchase of building materials with a repayment period of up to 25 years and a maximum monthly repayment of RM63.
“The main criterion for the loan scheme is that an applicant must have a minimum household income of RM400 per month. The longhouse shall not be built on reserve land or land alienated for development purpose,” he said in reply to Dennis Ngau (BN-Telang Usang) Wednesday.
“The longhouse to be assisted shall not be less than 10 doors and the longhouse chief must be appointed by the government,” Harden added.
He also noted that the ministry would also consider request to build a longhouse under the new longhouse loan concept which would require the applicants to have individual title for their lot.
“They would first need to apply to the Land and Survey Department for issuance of the land title before the Ministry of Housing can consider their application,” said Harden, adding that the implementation of the longhouse scheme under the new concept would depend on the availability of fund as well as fulfilment of the loan criteria by the applicants concerned.
To a supplementary question – on the number of loan being approved – Harden said that this year the ministry had approved an allocation of RM7,180,000 for 718 families.