Rehda Institute: One-size-fits-all RM300,000 housing cap needs rethink

Rehda Institute welcomes the government's consideration of moving affordable housing away from a uniform RM300,000 ceiling towards an income-based model, emphasizing that benchmarks should reflect local household incomes and actual demand. The institute suggested that housing prices must also account for actual delivery costs, which developers reported were often lower than regulated prices due to increased costs in land, construction, labor, compliance, and infrastructure.

The institute supports the government's emphasis on data-driven planning using demographics, needs, and actual demand, and highlighted the potential of better data usage to address persistent supply-demand mismatches, unsold housing, and abandoned developments. Rehda Institute also welcomed the National Housing Policy's focus on the ageing population, including tailored housing financing schemes, retrofitting grants, and incentives for senior care centers.

With Malaysia projected to become an 'aged nation' by 2048, the institute highlighted the importance of developing housing supply that caters to the diverse needs of households across their life cycle. On housing financing, Rehda Institute backed proposed measures such as the Housing Credit Guarantee Scheme, stepped financing, shared ownership, and long-term fixed-rate mortgages.

Rehda Institute chairman Datuk Jeffrey Ng Tiong Lip expressed satisfaction with the NHP 2026-2035, which aligns with the institute's advocacy for demand-driven supply, demographic responsiveness, and flexible financing. However, Ng stressed that success should be measured by whether Malaysians have access to suitable housing in the right location, under a sustainable financial commitment.