{
  "id": 2892019,
  "title": "National Housing Policy: What does the policy mean for Malaysians",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/23/national-housing-policy-what-does-the-policy-mean-for-malaysians-2892019",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-08-23T23:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Malay Mail",
    "slug": "malay-mail-malaymail",
    "url": "https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2026/08/24/national-housing-policy-what-does-the-policy-mean-for-malaysians/231685"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The newly introduced National Housing Policy (DRN) 2026-2035 in Malaysia aims to transform how homes are planned, built, financed, and managed. Central to the policy is a focus on local demand, with housing projections at the sub-district and district levels taking into account existing housing supply, vacant units, housing types, household income, and price categories. This ensures that homes are built where people need them, near jobs, transport, and essential services.\n\nStrengthening housing development approvals is another key focus, with the DRN considering existing housing stock and completed but unsold units according to locality. A feasibility study on renting out completed but unsold homes is also being proposed, providing an alternative to relying solely on sales and better utilizing existing housing stock.\n\nAffordability will be measured by location, with the policy proposing guidelines for affordable housing and assessing both buying and renting affordability according to locality. This approach recognizes that affordability varies between locations due to differences in household incomes, property prices, and rents. In addition, the DRN proposes expanding access to housing beyond traditional home ownership through options like rent-to-own guidelines, affordable rental schemes for private developers, incentives for affordable rental housing, shared ownership schemes, and financing mechanisms for community-led housing.\n\nFor tenants, the policy aims to create a more structured rental market by introducing a Residential Tenancy Act, a registration system for tenancies, e-tenancy agreements, and rental initiatives linked to the registration system. The policy also seeks to provide targeted housing for different demographic groups, including financing schemes for senior citizens, grants for modifying homes for senior citizens and persons with disabilities, and transit housing for those facing transitional or emergency housing situations.\n\nTo prevent housing projects from becoming sick, delayed, or abandoned, the DRN introduces an Option to Purchase (OTP) mechanism that allows developers and buyers a specified period to withdraw from a project without penalty if sales are weak or the project is deemed likely to fail. Additionally, the implementation of digital systems like the Housing Integrated Management System (HIMS), TEDUH (Transforming & Empowering Data Usage in Housing), and electronic sale-and-purchase agreements aims to improve transparency and prevent project failures.",
  "summary": "KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 24 — Malaysia’s newly unveiled National Housing Policy or Dasar Perumahan Negara (DRN) 202...",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Malay Mail",
        "title": "National Housing Policy: What does the policy mean for Malaysians",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/23/national-housing-policy-what-does-the-policy-mean-for-malaysians",
        "published": "2026-08-23T23:00:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}