The Tenure Security and Its Implication to Self-Help Housing </b><b>Improvements in the Urban Kampong: The Case of Kampong Cikini, Jakarta

Abstract

Jakarta has been experiencing rapid urbanization and severe housing shortage, especially for the under privileged. This condition breeds slum, or kampong in Indonesia, as solution to provide affordable housing. In the absence of right of ownership, as the basis of objective secure tenure, kampong dwellers have been delivering self-help house improvements. It proves subjective tenure security, as alternative of objective tenure security, encourages self-help housing. The research aims are identifying the general condition of landownership, the other factors of subjective tenure security that become impediment of land titling program and its implication to house condition in Kampong Cikini, Jakarta, as the research area. The information was obtained from 79 respondents by utilizing snowball technique sampling. The findings indicated only small numbers of respondents obtained right of ownership, while most of respondents claimed landownership based on documents that referred to colonial, customary and religion laws. It described inadequate knowledge of the land regulation of kampong dwellers, following by expensive and complicated procedure, as the impediment of land titling program. Escalating land price, kampong improvements programs and support from political parties become other factors that strengthen subjective tenure security which encourage self-help house improvements. This research is not only complemented the existing theory of subjective tenure security but also demonstrated how the intricate tenure security and its implication to self-help housing improvements in kampong settlement. It will useful on refining the the new implemented intervention to improve kampong without degrading formal land titling program.

Analysing land tenure security of urban Kampung in Jakarta

“…This is, in fact, in line with what has been implied by scholars (e.g. Adianto et al, 2016;Reerink and van Gelder, 2010;Winayanti and Lang, 2004). Additionally, having benefitted from the housing improvement program, the communities feel more recognised by local government.…”

“…This was confirmed by around 85% of the surveyed residents saying that they would most likely invest in housing, especially those without title (Appendix F). This goes along with the studies conducted in urban kampung by Adianto et al (2016) in Jakarta, Reerink and van Gelder (2010) in Bandung, and Winayanti and Lang (2004) in Jakarta. The reason for that is the intention for descendants to inherit their assets (Table 9 -2).…”

“…Additionally, Lee (1996) believes they are not always 'downgraded' as depicted in informal settlement in many other countries, since quite a few middle-income houses are also found in kampung. Moreover, an urban kampung in Indonesia shares characteristics of slums defined by UN-HABITAT (2003) (Section 2.2) due to deprivation of mostly physical conditions (Adianto et al, 2016;Silas, 1992). Highlighting slum indicators by UN-HABITAT (2003), kampung may lack of security of tenure, for it was predominantly generated from administrative dualism referred to as 'registered ' and 'unregistered' lands; particularly the unregistered (Leaf, 1994, p. 15) (and Section 3.4).…”

“…This has led scholars to conduct several studies in respect to kampung informality. Several existing studies analyse this tenure security issue within kampung, but in different jurisdiction: by Winayanti and Lang (2004) in one kampung Jakarta, by Reerink and van Gelder (2010) in several kampung in Bandung, and by Adianto et al (2016) in one kampung in Jakarta. Winayanti and Lang (2004) found that the informal and semi-formal (adat right holders)…”

“…However, they asserted that there is no significant difference between perceived tenure security by formal (land title holder) and semi-formal (adat rights holder) residents, but quite substantial difference between the formal and informal residents (non-title holder). Lastly, Adianto et al (2016) noted that in the absence of land title, relying on subjective tenure security, kampung dwellers invested in housing.…”