AN additional 68 affordable homes under the People’s Housing Programme (PPR) will be built in Saratok next year.

These units are in addition to the 621 units of affordable homes built in the district.

“The Housing Ministry has also directed Housing Development Corporation (HDC) to conduct studies to see if there is a need to build more houses in Saratok,” Assistant Minister of Housing Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said in response to a supplementary question from Ali Biju (PKR-Krian) during the Q&A session yesterday.

He explained the criteria to apply for PPR and Rumah Mesra Rakyat (RMR) houses.

For houses under PPR scheme, an individual earning between RM650 and RM2,999 and aged between 18 and 65 years old is eligible to apply. He must also be a first-time house buyer without a land under his name.

For Rumah Mesra Rakyat (RMR) one had to have a second joint applicant for applicants who were between 45 and 65 years old.

This will enable payment to be continued by the second person in the joint application if something happens to the first applicant.

The applicant must have a piece of land to build the RMR house and earn below RM3,000 a month.

Those living in dilapidated houses may also apply for houses under the RMR scheme.