So that a house can be said decent is to have a sufficient area to meet health standards, namely good ventilation, clean toilets and bathrooms, enough rooms for family members to move around and designed to facilitate the movement of residents, especially for the disabled. If the families have toddlers or school children, ideally the house can have a yard or be located close to an open space such as a playground or field and most importantly have a fairly safe distance from the road.

Another requirement that needs to be noted is the separation of rooms between parents and their children and between boys and girls. Separation of this room is one way to teach children to be more independent. Meanwhile, the separation of a boy’s room with a girl’s room can be done if the child begins to enter his teens because they both have different needs.

Data from the National Socio-Economic Survey or Susenas (survey activity by BPJS) shows that there are still 14 million families who do not have decent housing. To help families have decent housing, especially for low-income families, Habitat for Humanity Indonesia has made various efforts, including by providing construction, rehabilitation and home improvement assistance, the funding of which is in collaboration with corporate donors (CSR) and individuals. Through the housing assistance program, decent houses can become a healthy place to live and families become more productive. Especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, the house is a primary need because every family member has to work or do activities from home. People have to work from home, play at home, study at home, so there is a need for proper and healthy homes.

Let’s collaborate with Habitat Indonesia to create decent houses for low-income families by becoming Habitat Crew. Go to   to participate in the movement for change for a better Indonesia.

Fulfilling the need for livable and affordable housing in the property sector is considered to drive the economy because it is directly related to the scope of supporting industries.

Budi Sastrawinata, Head of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry under Integrated Property Area Development Agency, stated at the Indonesia Housing Forum, which was held online on Thursday (Oct, 14th 2021), that “The property industry’s ecosystem has a vital role in fixing the needs.”

Budi added that the property industry covers various aspects, such as housing, shop houses, apartments, the superblock area consists of offices and shopping centers, then TOR, namely airports and ports. Furthermore, the tourism area consists of resorts, hotels, and eco-tourism. In addition, there are also new urban areas and urban rejuvenation, as well as industrial areas. All of these are related to the needs of financial services such as banking, taxes, REITs, Tapera, and BPJS which also related to other supporting services such as brokerage, consultants, building, and housing management.

According to Budi, the property industry can contribute to the National GDP reaching 7-9% if we combined the overall process. The property industry can also have a multiplier effect on 175 sectors and 350 related SMEs. The use of local materials can reach up to 90-100% and employees at least up to 30 million workers.

“If the property industry ecosystem is good, the supply chain is also good. It will make it easier to accelerate the development of needs in this sector,” concluded Budiarsa.

National Director of Habitat Indonesia, Susanto, who is also the Chairman of the Indonesia Housing Forum, said, “Habitat Indonesia as a non-profit organization that focuses on providing decent housing in Indonesia also continues to advocate for affordable housing for low-income families. Established 24 years ago, Habitat has served more than 168,000 families in obtaining housing, sanitation, and access to water.”

Susanto added that there were still millions of families that needed help. Through the Indonesia Housing Forum, each participant is placed inclusively as a stakeholder so that everyone can better understand the problems and challenges in realizing decent housing.

Since 2017, the Indonesia Housing Forum has involved academics who provide in-depth studies related to housing development in Indonesia.

Hadi Prabowo, Dean of FTSP Trisakti University, said, “The follow-up program carried out by Trisakti related to housing and settlements is in the form of community service programs which is translated into counseling, training, design consultations, and pilots connected to housing and settlements.”

According to Hadi, educational institutions, including the Faculty of Civil Engineering and Planning (FTSP) of Trisakti University and the non-governmental organization Habitat for Humanity Indonesia, need to collaborate to address the need for livable housing for low-income communities through research, workshops, and community service.

Three big earthquakes that hit West Sulawesi in early 2021 have broken Mamuju, Majene, and Polewali Mandar. Hundreds of inhabitants got injured, even death. The earthquakes also impacted tens of thousands of inhabitants’ houses. They felt forced to live temporarily in the refuge, where it was difficult to get clean water and food.

Habitat Indonesia, a humanitarian organization that focuses on providing decent houses, was supported by PVH to help inhabitants in Botteng Village. Government and other humanitarian organizations supported Habitat and PVH repaired five family houses with Ferro cement Technique, distributed three packages of house reparation kits to thirty families, and gave construction and safe house training to survive an upcoming earthquake.

Aco (41) and Jaisa (35), Botteng inhabitants, everyday work as farmers. They are often sleep in the field. When the earthquakes came, Aco and his wife went out of the area immediately and drove their motorcycle very fast to help their two children that they left at home. “My wife and I are such anxious. Besides wanting to help our two children at home, we also must keep our baby on a motorcycle during the trip,” Aco said. Grateful, they still had time to rescue their two children and bring them to the refuge.

After approximately two weeks in the refuge, Aco and his family felt so difficult to get food for their baby, who needed it. Aco and his family felt so happy when they knew that Habitat and PVH would repair their house. “My family and I are so happy when we know that Habitat and PVH will repair our house because it is so suffered live in the refuge. Thank you, Habitat Indonesia and PVH, for repairing our house. If you don’t build our house, we will have no house until now”, said Aco.

Saruna, an older man (70), and his disabled wife usually work as farmers. When the earthquake hit their house at night, they felt so surprised. They went out of their home and rescued their two children immediately. They had to live in the refuge for a while because they were afraid to return to their broken house. But in the sanctuary, it was difficult for them to get food, and it started to cause many people to get the disease.

When Saruna heard that Habitat and PVH would repair their house, He was so happy. “I am so excited when I know that Habitat and PVH will repair our house. My age is not a barrier for me to help the craftsman who repairs our house. Now, we can live in a safe house whose structure is better than our house before. No more words we can say except thank you so much Habitat and PVH who have repaired our house”, revealed Saruna.

Three big earthquakes hit West Sulawesi in early 2021. Those three districts were Mamuju, Majene, and Polewali Mandar. At least around 6.213 were impacted, 107 were dead, 278 were heavily injured, and 240 were moderately and lightly injured. In addition to taking lives, this powerful earthquake was also capable of destroying residents’ settlements. There were around 15,522 houses that were damaged, about 11,423 in Mamuju and the rest in Majene, approximately 4,099 houses. Apart from residential areas, these earthquakes also destroyed 22 schools in Mamuju and 79 schools in Majene. 

Habitat Indonesia, accompanied by the government and other humanitarian organizations, decided to rebuild Botteng Village and Karampuang Village in Mamuju, West Sulawesi, because earthquakes frequently hit them. Karampuang itself is a remote village that can be reached only by boat for 20 minutes from the Mamuju fish port market.

The financial support of more than 300 million from DOW Indonesia immensely helped Habitat Indonesia carry out its mission. It succeeded in helping earthquake-affected families in Botteng Village and Karampuang Village by repairing five houses using the Ferro cement technique and five toilets in Botteng Village. DOW and Habitat also distributed cleaning kits to 100 families in Botteng Village, provided disaster risk management training to 55 families in Karampuang, and construction training to local families and workers in Botteng Village.The village office established a village-level disaster risk reduction forum and distributed training on signs of disaster evacuation.

Muhammad Anwar, Head of Dusun Karampuang, said, “We are fortunate that DOW and Habitat Indonesia came to Karampuang Village and provided humanitarian assistance and disaster relief so that we have another safe house to live. Just as the pinnacle of love arrives, we are very enthusiastic about the renovation of our office. Only one-week Habitat completed repairs. They planed the work well. Now we have more space to use. Thanks to Habitat Indonesia and DOW Indonesia for this work. We will provide our best service for residents here.”

Amril, a traveling fish trader (27), buys fish from fish collectors and sells it to customers every morning, while his wife Jira (22) sells fruit on the side of the road not far from where they live. When the earthquake struck, Amri immediately got up and called and hugged his son Tifan (4) and left the house while his wife followed behind. When they were outside their home, they immediately looked for a place to evacuate because it was raining and the electricity went out. They also saw other people flocking and looking desperate.

“In the refugee camps, it is tough for us to get food and basic needs. We chose to return home after conditions began to improve even though our house was still tilted, not stable, and not yet safe. We pray to God we will be able to repair our house soon. We are glad that Habitat and DOW chose our family to receive home improvement assistance. We thank Habitat and DOW for repairing our home. If Habitat didn’t repair our house, we wouldn’t know how to get the money to repair our house. We are very grateful, said Amril.”

Naibonat, Kab. Kupang, NTT, September 14, 2021 – Tropical Cyclone Seroja hit the East Nusa Tenggara area in early April 2021. The sea storm that first reached the mainland severely destroyed various buildings, public facilities, and people’s houses. Thousands of families have been forced to flee because they have lost their homes. The fact is that until now, the recovery process for families affected by this disaster is still not over. Many still struggle to live in huts, tents, and relatives’ places with minimal facilities.

The Groundbreaking Event for this program was held on Sep14 with representatives from Local Governments, partners, and Habitat as the audiences on-site and online. Susanto Samsudin, National Director of Habitat for Humanity Indonesia said, “A home is a basic need that must be owned after a disaster because it is used as a shelter and restore conditions. Even in a pandemic situation, the house is essential to avoid the virus by staying at home. We must feel what they feel. A positive impact can occur for the families of disaster survivors in NTT if we all participate. Driven by the spirit of unity as one nation and brothers in Indonesia, Habitat Indonesia invites more people to play a role in helping them.”

Post-disaster recovery takes a long time and requires support from all parties. Habitat for Humanity Indonesia wants to help families in NTT recover faster from disasters by building decent housing. In collaboration with the Wahana Visi Indonesia Foundation, donor partners, the Kupang Regency Government, and the community, Habitat Indonesia will start building decent houses for the affected families. Until 2022, there will be 97 new homes built, and  20 houses renovated in Naibonat, Oesao, and Takari, in Kupang Regency, East Nusa Tenggara.

Angelina Theodora, National Director & CEO of Wahana Visi Indonesia,  also said,

“A partnership between Habitat for Humanity Indonesia and Wahana Visi Indonesia focus on building 100 homes to provide an appropriate response to the needs of the community after the disaster. Today is symbolically started house construction activities, which positively illustrates a good commitment and cooperation between various stakeholders in Kupang Regency. We hope that living in a safe and comfortable home will accelerate the recovery process for families  affected by disaster and support the recovery of post-disaster children to be able to live fully intact in Naibonat Village, East Kupang District.”

The collaboration carried out by Habitat for Humanity Indonesia, and Wahana Visi Indonesia focuses on restoring the condition of the community, especially in Kupang Regency. This was welcomed by Drs. Korinus Masneno, Regent of Kupang Regency, in his opening remarks, “People have lost their homes due to Tropical Cyclone Seroja in Naibonat, Oesao, and Takari Villages. On behalf of the local government, I am grateful for God’s love through these two institutions’ initiatives to build livable houses and renovate dilapidated houses.

Until now, there is still a need for funds for ongoing development; everyone is invited to see how a sense of unity as a nation can drive significant changes, especially a faster recovery process for those affected by disasters in NTT. One Nusa, One Taste, because NTT is Us!

Friday, Sept 24, 2021 – Habitat for Humanity Indonesia, as part of a global humanitarian movement under the auspices of Habitat for Humanity International, also promotes World Habitat Day, which is commemorated every October 4, 2021.

Through various programs and collaborations with multiple parties, Habitat Indonesia seeks to express its impact in many aspects of life by focusing on housing issues. The impact expressed through our work extends beyond decent buildings to live in, health, education, and even indirectly to the economic improvement and development for families in need and the country.

The construction industry — led by homebuilding — is a large, often-overlooked source of jobs in emerging market economies, according to a report released today by Habitat for Humanity to mark World Habitat Day.

Every $1 million in construction output creates an average of 97 jobs in emerging markets, economists at the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Southern California, and the University of Washington found in the report commissioned by Habitat for Humanity’s Terwilliger Center for Innovation in Shelter. That compares to 81 jobs created per $1 million in agricultural output and 96 jobs per $1 million in output in the accommodation and food services sector, according to the report, which focuses on 9 countries: Brazil, Colombia, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Peru, the Philippines, South Africa, and Uganda.

“Investment in residential construction represents a potential win-win-win in emerging markets because it creates such a large number of jobs locally, helps close stubborn gaps in affordable housing and stimulates the larger economy,” said Patrick Kelley, vice president of Habitat’s Terwilliger Center. “These findings are critically important for low- and middle-income countries deciding what areas to prioritize as they work to build back economies weakened by the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly in a world where 1.6 billion people still lack adequate shelter.”

In Indonesia, construction for low-income families can help them live, be independent, and be sustainable. During the pandemic, the main stronghold house is protected from the virus. Through decent housing, low-income families in Indonesia can survive and do work to maintain the family’s economic stability.

During its 24 years of service in Indonesia, Habitat Indonesia, through its housing and home support programs, has supported more than 165,000 families. In providing it, Habitat Indonesia also involves beneficiaries and local communities in building so that they have the opportunity to work.

Find more information about the report titled A Ladder Up: The construction sector’s role in creating jobs and rebuilding emerging market economies on October 4^th, 2021 trough Habitat Indonesia social media and websites.

Jakarta, August 27, 2021, The increasing number of Covid cases in Indonesia does not exclude Surabaya as one of the high numbers of cases areas. Habitat Indonesia, which previously had provided decent temporary shelters for six hospitals in Surabaya, will reopen the temporary shelter for health workers program in 4 hospitals for 60 days. The program includes an appropriate place to rest with meals for breakfast and dinner.

Mercury Media Group tends to emphasize positive information and message to the ears of its listeners in Surabaya by contributing to tackling the Covid problem in Indonesia, especially in Surabaya. In collaboration with Habitat for Humanity Indonesia, this effort carries the theme of #MerdekaPandemi to raise funds through Mercury’s group radio and social media (Mercury FM, DJ FM, Kota FM, and Global FM) and Habitat Indonesia’s social media.

This fundraising program will be held in 3 months, from August to October 2021, with a target of 2 billion rupiahs. They will allocate the funds raised to provide a proper place to rest for health workers who work in the Covid wards in the hospitals in Surabaya.

There are various public figures from Jakarta and Surabaya who also support this joint fundraising effort by Mercury and Habitat. They are willing to echo the message of #MerdekaPandemi through adlibs and talk shows on radios. People can donate through direct transfers or other payment gateways to support the health workers in Surabaya as soon as possible. For more information, you may visit Instagram @habitat_id and @mercury96.

Jakarta, August 27 2021, The impact of this pandemic has hit Indonesia since April 2020, which not only for the health workers but also the economy. Since 2020, Habitat Indonesia continues to provide support in overcoming the Covid pandemic in Indonesia. By holding a Temporary Shelter program to help health workers rest safely and comfortably after completing their duties.

Support from various parties is the basis for Habitat Indonesia to carry out all forms of support programs. PT Schroders Investment Management Indonesia (Schroders Indonesia) supports Habitat Indonesia to help health workers and the community by distributing 141 million rupiahs donations. In September 2020, Schroders supported the health workers of the Soewhandie Hospital in Surabaya who served in the Covid to get a proper place to rest for two weeks. A safe and comfortable resting place supports health workers to undergo isolation and prevent the potential transmission of the virus to families.

Besides supporting health workers during the pandemic, Schroders also helps Indonesians who are economically affected by Covid. Jogoyudan in Yogyakarta is one of the areas where the residents are greatly affected because some of the breadwinners lost their job. At the same time, they still need to pay their house rent, living costs, and the internet for their children’s online school. Schroders with Habitat Indonesia provided financial support in cash vouchers for 178 families to pay the house rent and provided internet access for 110 students. This program includes six units of hand washing facilities and access to clean water in 6 neighborhoods and four blocks to motivate Jogoyudan villagers to continue to follow health protocols. Schroders also renovated public toilets so that they could properly use them.

Hermawan, a resident of Jogoyudan Village, said, “When the pandemic hit, everything changed. My job as a laborer is getting quieter while, on the other hand, the need is increasing because I have to meet the needs of health protocols such as masks, hand sanitizers, hand washing soap, and internet quota used for children to learn online. Schroders and Habitat Indonesia helped me pay the rent for the flats, provided hand washing equipment and internet access for the children helped me deal with the current difficult situation. My burden is getting lighter. I am grateful for the help, and may this difficult situation pass soon.

Fansa, a 6th-grade elementary school student who gets free internet access from Schroders and Habitat, said, “Normally, I have to spend Rp 75,000 per month to buy internet quota. I am very grateful for the free internet from Habitat, which helps me study online every day. Now I only buy internet packages if I’m outside the house. Now, I can use the rest of the money for other purposes. Thank you, Schroders and Habitat”.

This support is a form of concern of Schroder to give hope for vulnerable families affected by Covid-19 to survive and through difficult times.

Every family longs to have a decent life, a comfortable home that is safe and healthy, the ability to improve their family financial and last but not least, proper education. A good education is an important thing that every family yearns for, including education for their children, because the young is hope for better family life and future.

The Indonesian government continues to strive to improve the quality of education that can reach the millions of children who have not been able to receive a proper education. One of the obstacles faced behind this effort is the inadequate availability of teaching and learning facilities. One area that is still experiencing these problems is Tuksono Village, Sentolo District, Kulon Progo Regency, Yogyakarta Special Region. Ironically, the city of Yogyakarta itself is nicknamed the City of Scholars.

Tuksono Village has a population of about 8,521 people, where 40% of the population is still poor. Tuksono is the poorest area in Sentolo District. About 400 families do not have proper housing, access to clean water, sanitation, and education. The condition of children with stunting (impaired growth in children) is also very high in this area due to the poor environmental conditions. As many as 9 out of 12 hamlets in Sentolo District do not have proper schools. In general, children study in a house that is used as a school building with the minimum equipment and facilities. In fact, thousands of children in the area are unable to complete primary school education.

Actually, Sentolo Subdistrict is being prepared to become an industrial area but this has not been fulfilled due to the inadequate level of education and community capacity.

In the spirit of realizing the same mission, Habitat for Humanity Indonesia together with the Fly & Help Foundation is taking part in supporting government efforts to improve the quality of education, especially for early childhood in Tuksono Village by building 4 PAUD school buildings and facilities that support teaching and learning programs. This program is expected to support the people of Tuksono Village to have better education for children so that they can become empowered and qualified generations for a better life and livelihood in the future. With the existence of good and supportive teaching and learning facilities, children will be more happy and excited about taking school education.

Smart society, great Indonesia!

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