‘No, thank you’: is Indonesia set to follow Hong Kong with its own tiny homes?

The Indonesian government has faced backlash over its plan to further downsize already tiny proposed subsidised housing, with critics worrying that the cramped conditions may jeopardise physical and mental well-being.

Indonesia’s housing authorities are proposing a reduction in the minimum plot size for subsidised homes from 60 square metres (645 sq ft) to 25 square metres (270 sq ft), and shrinking the built area from 21 square metres (226 sq ft) to 18 square metres (194 sq ft).

However, the downsized plan is still under discussion, Housing Minister Maruarar Sirait recently said, promising that the government would not sacrifice quality to stay within the budget.

“Land prices in the cities continue to rise, but should we give up because of that?” Maruarar said, according to the English-language Jakarta Globe newspaper. “No. We redesign it while making sure it is still liveable and attractive.”

President Prabowo Subianto rolled out his government’s flagship “3 million homes” programme last October to address the country’s housing shortage, particularly for young, low-income urban dwellers.