Penang assemblypersons are faced with increasing housing queries especially in the wake of new development projects within their constituencies.
 
The public also does not know that Penang is “a heaven for affordable housing” due to lack of media publicity. 
 
Three Penang assemblymen said that they are constantly trying to help their constituents to get affordable housing. 
 
According to PKR Batu Uban assemblyman T Jayabalan, most queries that come to his service center deal with housing matters.
 
"My center receives 10 to 15 queries a day. It's a full day job having to address these problems,” said Jayabalan said in a press conference at Komtar today.
 
He stressed that these are due to new developments in the area where people are depossessed and developers take over the land they live on.
 
Batu Maung assemblyman Abdul Malik Kassim, also a state exco for Islamic affairs,  said that 10 percent of the complaints his service center  receives daily are on housing issues.

"Due to media constraints in publicity, the public is not aware that there are about 20,000 homes available for at least five to 10 years from now.

 
"If there is enough publicity, Penang could be described as a heaven for affordable housing," said Malik. 
 
Malik also said that people in other states are not aware that we have such a project (Mission Home-Possible) because of lack of media coverage.
 
The units will be available in state funded housing projects in Batu Kawan,  Jalan SP Chelliah and Teluk Kumbar, Malik noted.
 
Critics often take the Penang government and Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng to task for allegedly not providing enough affordable housing for Penangites.
 
To address the matter, the Penang government has gone on a road show dubbed 'Mission Home-Possible' to meet potential affordable house seekers.
 
Deputy Chief Minister I Rashid Hasnon said a roadshow will be held at the Giant Hypermarket this Saturday, from 10am to 5pm, to help the people own affordable homes.
 
This would be the third of its kind as two earlier roadshows were held in Jelutong ang Tanjung simultaneously and in Bagan.
 
"There are already private developers who are willing to build affordable housing in conjunction with state policy on the matter," he said.
 
He said since the launch of the roadshows, 100,000 application forms have been issued and 3,000 completed ones submitted by the public.
 
He said his own service center in Pantai Jerejak addresses many housing matters which make up about 20 to 25 percent of the inquiries received everyday.
 
"Since the road show is held in the Bayan Baru parliamentary constituency (which covers Batu Uban, Batu Maung and Pantai Jerejak), we hope we can address our constituents’ housing problems," he added.