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Cibubur welcomes apartment for senior citizens
For the elderly: Tenants walk up a ramp at an apartment for senior citizens in Cibubur, East Jakarta
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or the elderly: Tenants walk up a ramp at an apartment for senior citizens in Cibubur, East Jakarta. The building, which was inaugurated by the Public Works and Housing Ministry on Tuesday, houses 90 units that will be rented out for Rp 3.5 million (US$252) per month. (Warta Kota/Muhamad Azzam)
The Public Works and Housing Ministry inaugurated on Tuesday an apartment compound reserved for senior citizens in Cibubur, East Jakarta.
The project was initiated by the ministry and Karya Bhakti Ria Pembangunan, a foundation formed by the wives of former New Order government officials, including the late Tien Soeharto.
The foundation also manages the Sasana Tresna Werdha nursing home in Cibubur.
A member of the foundation’s board of supervisors, Haryono Suyono, said the facility could be used as a permanent home or temporary place of residence.
It will also conduct a range of activities for its tenants, he added.
“Elderly people from across the city can visit this place and have fun together,” Haryono said.
The apartment complex, which is located near the Cibubur Junction shopping center, is made up of two three-story buildings.
It houses a total of 90 apartment units, each of which comes equipped with a bathroom and furniture, including a queen-size bed, a closet, a sofa and a coffee table.
The complex also boasts a park for outdoor activities.
Each building was specifically designed for senior citizens, featuring, among others, elevators and iron handrails attached to walls to help residents move about with ease.
Although the complex will open its activities to the public, it is mainly targeting senior citizens from middle-income families, offering rental fees that are higher than those of city-owned, low-cost apartments.
According to Karya Bhakti Ria Pembangunan board of trustee Sulistiani Sujudhi, the units are reserved for tenants that are 60 years old and above, and will cost Rp 3.5 million (US$252) per month to rent.
To ensure the fee is paid every month, “the occupant’s family must sign an agreement as a guarantee,” Sulistiani said.
The Public Works and Housing Ministry’s director general for housing provision, Khalawi Abdul Hamid, explained separately that the facility was built on land owned by the foundation, using around Rp 16 billion from the state budget.
“The Public Works and Housing minister [Basoeki Hadimoeljono] had agreed to contribute to the facility’s construction as the city needs a place to accommodate elderly people whose families are unable to take care of them,” Khalawi said.
According to 2016 data from the Jakarta chapter of the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), the capital is home to roughly 700,000 people above the age of 60.
“The state needs to be present in taking care of the elderly communities,” Khalawi said.
He added that the ministry would build more facilities for senior citizens upon receiving a recommendation from the Social Affairs Ministry.
Therefore, he urged anyone wishing to develop a similar apartment complex to submit their proposal to the Social Affairs Ministry.
