People previously living in slum areas need to be informed before moving into flats to better adapt to their new surroundings, experts say.
Eko Aditiya Meinarno, a socio-psychology expert from the University of Indonesia (UI), said tenants should be informed of the design and rules of their new abodes prior to relocation.
“Residents might feel culture shock because they are not familiar with the new concept of living, like dealing with the management and rules,” Eko told a seminar here Thursday.
The two-day international seminar, titled Towards Humanistic-Approach Relocation, was jointly organized by Tzu Chi Indonesia Foundation, Tzu Chi University and the University of Indonesia.
Eko, who had surveyed squatters relocation to low-cost apartments, said many residents still thought that living in a flat was disadvantageous.
“In the slum areas, they could build a stall in front of their homes, for instance, something that they cannot do in flats,” he said.
“Many residents said they were reluctant when it came to high-rises because they were afraid of getting trapped in a fire.”
It is the administration’s responsibility to assure them that living in apartments is safe,” he said.
The survey — on social and psychological adaptation process of former Kapuk Muara squatters following their relocation to Tzu Chi low-cost apartments in Cengkareng, West Jakarta — was conducted by experts from two universities.
Eko said the most important thing was to disperse basic information to the people on how to live in high-rises.
“The administration should change people’s way of thinking. Apartments are no longer for the rich, as assumed by many Jakartans. They are for everyone,” he said.
In 2002, the administration cleared the Angke riverbank and relocated thousands of squatters in Kapuk Muara and Pejagalan, both in North Jakarta, to Tzu Chi Apartments, in order to ease flooding.
Another expert from UI, Sarlito Wirawan Sarwono, said evictees needed time to adapt their new environments.
“Some of my respondents believe they were victims of the administration’s eviction program,” Sarlito said.
“That’s why they expect the administration to pay their rent.”
He said some residents gave positive responses, lauding better living conditions and healthier environments of the apartments.
The management of Tzu Chi Apartment agreed that education was the key to ensuring a smooth transition for squatters.
“We didn’t have comprehensive introduction for them [the evictees], but we did give them a brief introduction to the culture of living at flats,” said Tzu Chi Apartment head of general affairs, Sudiyono.
“The hardest part is telling them how to put trash in bins. For the first three months, they kept throwing garbage out of their windows.”
“But now, they understand the rules,” he said, adding that the apartment rent was only about
Rp 150,000 to Rp 200,000 per month.
Over the past few years, the administration has evicted squatters living along the city’s riverbanks and near public facilities.
The slum dwellers were later relocated to low-cost apartments across the city.
Relocation has drawn complaints from them, saying that the apartments’ areas are too far from the heart of the city.
