REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo kicked off the construction of the Tambora low-cost rental apartments (Rusunawa) in Jalan Angke Raya, Tambora Subdistrict, West Jakarta, on Friday.

"I herewith declare that the construction of the Tambora Rusunawa has officially started today," Joko Widodo, better known as Jokowi, said at the groundbreaking ceremony of the project.

The governor said the 16-story Rusunawa apartments would have three towers and 549 units of 30 square meters each, costing Rp174 billion.

"The construction of the apartments is scheduled to be completed in September 2014," Jokowi said, adding that the three towers are former six-storey towers of the Angke Apartments, which are to be renovated into 16-storey buildings.

Jokowi said the Rusunawa apartments will be equipped with elevators to make living there easier.

"Because they will have 16 floors, the apartments will have elevators to help the occupants," the governor said. "If the elevators are out of order, they should be repaired."

He said that the regional government was trying to build multi-storied apartments because of the shortage of land in the capital city.

Head of Jakarta's Housing Service Yonathan Pasodung said on the occasion that each unit of the Rusunawa apartments will consist of two bedrooms, one living room, a kitchen and a small rear terrace for drying.

"We cannot yet reveal the rental rate of the apartment for each unit because we are calculating it," Pasodung noted.

He pointed out that 430 units had been contracted to the Jakarta Housing Service and the remaining would be made available to Jakarta residents.

"If there are relocated Jakarta residents who become victims of fire, or have no houses, they can submit applications to the Jakarta Housing Service," he added.

Pasodung explained that his office had developed 133 apartment blocks and constructed 12,371 units since 1984. They were built in type 18, type 21, and type 30 square meter categories.

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