The government will press ahead with its 20-year housing development master plan to provide housing for low-income people nationwide, Deputy Prime Minister Jurin Laksanawisit said on Thursday.
He was speaking as he presided over the launch of an event marking World Habitat Day 2019 on Thursday.
The 20-year master plan (2017-2036), submitted by the Social Development and Human Security Ministry, was approved in principle by the cabinet on Sept 12, 2017.
The plan is aimed at addressing housing problems which affect about 3 million low-income households nationwide.
Under the plan, the National Housing Authority is responsible for developing housing for sale or hire-purchase for 2 million households under projects such as the Baan Ua-Athorn housing estate, while the Community Organisations Development Institute (Codi), a public organisation, is responsible for assisting 1 million low-income earners get access to housing.
One of its main projects is the Baan Mankong Scheme for low-income people.
Two homeless men are presented with a saleng tricycle each for use in delivering scrap metal for sale. The tricycles were gifted by the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security as part of a project to help people make a living to mark World Homeless Day yesterday (Oct 10). Apichart Jinakul
Maitri Inthusut, the chairman of Codi, said that more than 100,000 households have been provided with housing under the Baan Mankong Scheme while the institute has also helped repair homes belonging to about 40,000 families of low-income people in rural areas.
Three housing centres, one in Bangkok, one in Chiang Mai, and the other in Khon Kaen, were built to serve as shelters for the homeless. Another housing project is also under construction for the homeless in Pathum Thani, Mr Maitri said.
Mr Jurin hailed the Baan Mankong housing scheme, saying its success was due to the collaboration of all the parties involved.
Mr Jurin said the government has also come up with a solution for those facing housing insecurity, such as communities who are facing eviction from SRT (State Railway of Thailand) owned plots and those from areas earmarked for rail development projects.
The affected communities can request the use of state land belonging to other state agencies and state enterprises with Codi acting as the go-between to help them, Mr Jurin said.
He added the government will continue with the community title deed land management scheme intended to return land rights to disenfranchised groups.
Mr Jurin said communities are given the title deeds confirming the legal right of the community to stay on the land. In return, residents must help protect the forest. This type of title deed cannot be transferred.
The concept of community title deeds, which was introduced by the Abhisit Vejjajiva Administration in 2009, has gained traction.
Last December, the previous coup-installed government gave permission to poor forest dwellers to stay on 5.9 million rai of protected forestland.
The gift was part of the government's "collective title deed" land management scheme. Under the scheme, communities receive documents of land ownership that belong solely to them, and in which land ownership is not transferable.