Taunggyi, the capital city of Shan State, is at an altitude of 4,702 feet. There was a Pa-O village called Dontaungti village in the place now called Taunggyi at about 1200 ME. There were Pinlong, Shan, Meinmyein and Warpyar villages near the vicinity of that village. Moreover, there were four lakes and one great lake.
Taunggyi township was established in 1253 ME and the government offices were firstly based in Mongthauk village of Nyaungshwe township. Then, they were relocated in current location of Taunggyi. Therefore, Taunggyi is more than 100 years old.
There are three sections in Shan State such as southern, eastern and northern and Kengtung district in eastern Shan State was formally called Zeintung. Monghkat Township in Kengtung district was not a town until 1962 and it was just a town under control of a border affairs sub-divisional officer.
Lashio in northern Shan State lies at 2,806 feet above sea level. The highest mountain is Taungkyaw Mountain, 7,470 ft above sea level in Namhsam Township. The region boasts of wide lands, hills and mountains. The famous places are Bawkyo pagoda, Namhunwe waterfall, Russia mountain, Mansu pagoda and Goktwin View Point.
The Urban and Housing Development Department under the Ministry of Construction constructed the staff housings, rental housings and other housings for sale for entire ethnic nationals, government employees and retired employees in such remote and hilly region.
The main objective of the department is to ensure balanced and sustainable development of rural and urban areas and to provide suitable housings successively for the public. The department is a key in providing accommodation out of three main basic needs like food, clothing and shelters for the people.
The Department of Urban and Housing Development office is concentrated in Taunggyi Township and manages for southern, northern and eastern parts of Shan State including five offices in self-administered regions, three district offices and three township offices.
Housing sector
The government constructed six three-storey buildings with 72 apartments in 1967-68 in Taunggyi, three two-storey buildings and one two-storey building in Kengtung in 1969-70. In 1998, it built 40 two-storey housings in Muse while six two-storey buildings in Lashio in 1997-98 and one two-storey building and 3 two-storey buildings in Tachilek and one two-storey building in Laukkai in 2009-2010.
Before the opening of township department offices, the staff housings were constructed in six townships. When the offices were launched at staff officer level in 2011, the housings were developed in Hopong, Namhsam, Pindaya and Hopan in four self-administered zones.
When director level officers were appointed there in April 2015, the operations were conducted more effectively. Before 2015, there were only 692 apartments in 10 townships but now there are 1,170 apartments in 16 townships. Therefore, there are a total of 1,862 apartments of staff housings in 26 townships.
The public rental housings such as six five-storey buildings with 120 apartments were constructed in Taunggyi and one five-storey building with 36 apartments in Tachilek. The apartments were rented to public at low prices.
The rental price of three five-storey buildings with 60 apartments in Taunggyi was K30,000 (each apartment includes 750 square feet wide 3 bedrooms) while the three five-storey buildings with 60 apartments was K 20,000 (each apartment includes 650 sq ft wide one bedroom). In Tachilek, the rental price of two five-storey buildings with 36 apartments was K20,000 (438 sq ft wide Hall Type, kitchen, bathroom and toilet). In 2021-2022 FY, the government constructed 12 buildings with 176 apartments in 11 townships.
The Town Plan was drafted in 1990 and it was drafted for 11 townships in Southern Shan State, six townships in Northern Shan State and six more townships in Eastern Shan State.
The town plans are being constructed for the remaining townships and the current town plans are also revised to meet the trend. The officials and experts of Urban and Housing Development Department from Nay Pyi Taw work together with departmental officials, town elders and residents of respective regions in drafting the town plans.
In 2021-2022 FY, the government constructed one four-storey building each in Yaksawk, Hsihseng, Kunhing and Mongpan townships in Southern Shan State.
It also completed one four-storey building in Hopong, one four-storey building in Yaksawk, one two-storey building in Ywangan, one three-storey building in Pindaya and one four-storey building in Loilem in March 2022.
The Shan State Urban and Housing Development Department constructed one four-storey building each in Kengtung, Mongphyat and Mongton townships in eastern Shan State and also completed one four-storey building respectively in Kengtung, Monghsat and Mongphyat townships in March 2022.
Similarly, the Urban and Housing Development Department (Shan State) also completed one three-storey building in Kyaukme, one four-storey building in Muse, one four-storey building in Hsenwi and one three-storey building in Hopang Township. Moreover, the department constructed one three-storey building in Hsenwi Township of Shan State (North) while one four-storey building in Muse and one three-storey building in Mongmit township in 2022.
The government constructed a total of 74 stuff housings with 1,170 apartments, seven rental housings with 156 apartments and 81 housing units with 1,326 apartments in Shan State from 2016-2017 to 2020-2021.
There were only 15 staff housings with 692 apartments in 10 townships of Shan State until 2015, and as 74 staff housings with 1,170 apartments and seven rental housings with 156 apartments were constructed in 16 townships, there are 179 staff housings with 1,862 apartments in Shan State to date.
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