KUALA LUMPUR, March 6 — Approximately 76,664 applications involving RM17.86 billion under the Housing Credit Guarantee Scheme (SJKP) were approved from its implementation in 2008 until December 31 last year, the Dewan Negara was told today.
Housing and Local Government Deputy Minister Datuk Aiman Athirah Sabu said that 68,594 of these applications were from youths aged 40 and below.
“The impact of the SJKP initiative can also be seen through the trend in approved loans. In 2019, only 6,054 applications worth RM329.5 million were approved, but as of December 31 last year, this figure had increased by more than 92 per cent, reaching 76,664 applications valued at RM17.86 billion.
“In addition, SJKP has expanded access to housing financing, particularly for first-time homebuyers who typically face difficulties in securing loans, such as those without fixed income or salary slips, including gig economy workers and those in the informal sector,” she said during the question-and-answer session.
Athirah was responding to Senator Datuk Nelson W. Angang's supplementary question on the impact of the SJKP initiative and whether it has improved homeownership rates, especially among marginalised groups with limited access to housing loans.
She added that SJKP has benefited young people and those in low- and middle-income groups, while reflecting the government’s commitment, particularly through the ministry, to ensuring that every citizen has access to housing, either through ownership or rental.
— Bernama
