By Kayan Soe Myint
Yangon, the commercial hub of Myanmar, is located on the 3,967.86 square miles in area. It is home to a 7,875,075 urban population. The directorate of the Department of Urban and Housing Development under the Ministry of Construction was opened in Yangon on 4 May 2015 and the department is developing civil servants’ housing and low-cost and affordable public housing units to meet housing demands in urban areas.
The department constructed Myananda Housing for in-service civil staff in Dagon Myothit (Seikkan) Township with 14 five-storey buildings having 476 apartments, with an aim to fulfil the needs of the civil staff including the accommodation in order to stop corruption and boost the morale of the government personnel. Those civil servants from 56 departments in Yangon Region are entitled to rent the housing. The government allocated K10.2 billion for housing between the 2018-2019 financial year and 2019-2020FY.
Public Rental Housing
Maha Bandoola Public Rental Housing is located at the corner of Maha Bandoola Road and No.2 Highway in Dagon Myothit (South) Township. The housing includes 50 eight semi-detached buildings with five floors (1,200 apartments). Yangon Region government supervised the housing project with the fund of K20 billion allocated by the Union Government in the 2015-2016FY and apartment units are rented out. The Department of Urban and Housing Development takes the role of supervising the housing.
Public Rental Housing in Dagon Myothit (South) Township
Public Housing is being developed on 171 acres in Dagon Myothit (South) township, Yangon Region under Phase I, including 194 buildings and 3,104 apartments. The previous government, the Ministry of Construction and the Myanmar Developer Association discussed the matter to ease the COVID-19 impacts on the construction sector on 3 July 2020 and implemented a 10,000 units project of public rental housing in the three cities (Nay Pyi Taw, Yangon and Mandalay) to provide accommodation to the low-income people who are suffering from soaring rent prices in big cities and create job opportunities for residents in the construction sector. The project was carried out under the COVID-19 Economic Relief Plan.
The master plan of the project targets 393 buildings (with 6,288 apartments) and 272 buildings (4,352 apartments). As per Phase I, 194 buildings (3,104 apartments) are being constructed. Myanmar Construction Entrepreneurs Federation (MCEF) and Myanmar Licensed Contractors Association (MLCA) are undertaking the project.
Affordable Kyansitmin Housing Scheme operated with a revolving fund
Low-cost housing, with 73 buildings with 2,372 apartments on 50 acres accessing government premises and services with township hall, general public hospital, township court and township police force, is considered as Kyansitmin Housing Project Phase I, whereas medium-cost housing is regarded as Kyansitmin Housing Project Phase II, covering 66 buildings with 632 apartments on 27 acres of land. The Affordable Kyansitmin Housing Project offers cheaper rates for the apartment units under the Union Budget and it is equipped with physical and social infrastructures.
Phase I was started in 2014 and completed in 2017. The apartment units were put up for sale with the housing loans of the Construction, Housing and Infrastructure Development Bank in 2018. Phase II began in 2017. Depending completion, the apartment units were sold to the public.
Shwelinpan Low-cost Housing Project
In order for the low-income people to own a house, a pilot project of the subsidized housing scheme was implemented in 2013 and K12 million worth a 468-square feet unit on the ground floor, K11.2 million worth unit on the first floor, K10.6 million-worth unit on the second floor and K9.8 million-worth unit on the third floor were sold.
Phase I of Shwelinpan low-cost housing includes 32 four-storey buildings with 768 apartments. The differences are six semi-detached houses with four floors in Phase I and eight semi-detached houses with four floors in Phase II, totalling 496 apartments.
Phase III contains 21 four-storey buildings (six semi-detached houses) with 504 apartments. The committees are formed for three housing phases and it has a gated community. One religious building is also built in the compound. It is also used as the community centre.
Yuzana low-cost housing
Yuzana Low-cost Housing Phase I, II and III in the compound of Yuzana Garden City Housing Estate was developed by drawing up a master plan in 2015, along with the old low-cost apartments constructed by the Yuzana Company during the 1998-2008 period for 750 buildings with 11,540 apartments).
The newly constructed low-cost housings have six, eight and twelve semi-detached buildings with four floors. The number of units is registered at 864 in Phase I, 1,152 in Phase II and 1,456 in Phase III. Those low-cost housings are popular among the people. Consequently, Phase IV has been planned with 64 apartments.
As the Union Budget covers social infrastructures in the Yuzana Housing Project, the prices of housing units are fairer and it is created to be a fun living environment. YBS Bus terminal is also set up for public transport. It has other facilities and services such as City Mart, Supermarket, Hawker Centre, Mya Thida Park, restaurant and Yuzana market and the General Hospital (500-bed).
