Kuala Lampur, March 14 -- Social housing programmes, such as the Program Perumahan Rakyat (PPR) and Projek Perumahan Awam (PA), play a crucial role in providing shelter for low-income households. With heavily subsidised rental rates as low as RM124 per month, they ease the financial burdens, especially for those living below the poverty line.

Rental arrears remain a major challenge

Despite low rents, rental arrears remain a major challenge for local councils governing social housing, with outstanding rent reaching millions of ringgits. Rental collection is critical for managing the social housing sector as it covers the basic maintenance costs and supports the expansion of social housing projects.

Yet, it remains insufficient to sustai...