TAPANULI SELATAN | INDATANEWS.COM - Indonesian Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka and North Sumatra Governor Muhammad Bobby Afif Nasution have assured that construction of permanent housing for disaster victims in Tapanuli Selatan Regency will begin soon. The government is preparing 699 housing units on an 18-hectare plot of land in Napa Village, Batangtoru District.
Vice President Gibran made the commitment to build
permanent housing, known as Huntap, during his visit to the temporary shelters, or Huntara, in Napa Village, Batangtoru District, on Friday, September 4, 2026. During the visit, Gibran met residents who are still living in temporary shelters after losing their homes in a hydrometeorological disaster in November 2025.
The Huntara residents Gibran met came from Garoga and Hutagodang villages in Batangtoru District. They have been living in the temporary shelters for several months while waiting for the government to provide permanent housing.
Speaking to the residents, Gibran apologized that the government had not yet been able to fully relocate the affected people to permanent homes. At the same time, he assured them that construction of the Huntap would begin in September 2026.
"I assure you that the government will continue to fulfill its responsibility and accelerate the construction of the Huntap so that everyone can have certainty about more adequate and safer housing," he said.
The
permanent housing will be built on an 18-hectare plot of land located directly next to the Huntara site in Napa Village. A total of 699 houses will be constructed on the site to meet the housing needs of
disaster victims.
The government has also ensured that residents will continue to receive assistance during the construction period. Those who are still living in the Huntara will receive facilities and support so they can continue to live in adequate conditions until the permanent housing is completed.
GOVERNMENT ACCELERATES PERMANENT HOUSING CONSTRUCTION: North Sumatra Governor
Bobby Nasution speaks to and encourages
disaster victims at the Huntara in Napa Village, assuring residents that the government will continue to accelerate the provision of land and construction of
permanent housing for affected residents. (PHOTO: Imam Syahputra)
Government Accelerates Permanent Housing Provision
North Sumatra Governor
Bobby Nasution also encouraged residents who continue to stay in the Huntara after their homes were destroyed by the disaster. The North Sumatra Provincial Government continues to support the provision of
permanent housing and help meet the needs of disaster-affected communities.
Bobby said the government had accelerated efforts to identify and provide suitable land for the construction of permanent housing in several affected areas. The goal is to provide people who have not yet received permanent housing with certainty regarding their living conditions as soon as possible.
"In some locations, the Huntap has already been completed. For those where it has not yet been completed, the government has worked to find land for construction as quickly as possible. One of these sites is here, so that the community can have certainty that they will eventually be able to live in
permanent housing," Governor
Bobby Nasution said.
The construction of the Huntap is part of the government's efforts to accelerate recovery following the disaster in Tapanuli Selatan. The government is focusing not only on providing homes, but also on preparing various forms of support so that residents can return to their normal lives.
During the working visit, Vice President Gibran and Governor Bobby also inspected several sites designated for infrastructure construction, as well as rehabilitation and reconstruction programs following the disaster. The inspections were intended to ensure that the recovery process proceeds in accordance with the needs of communities in the affected areas.
RESIDENT THANKS THE GOVERNMENT: Eti, a resident of the Huntara in Napa Village, thanks the government for its support and expresses hope that the permanent housing will soon be completed so residents can return to permanent homes. (PHOTO: Imam Syahputra)
Economic Recovery Also in Focus
Governor Bobby emphasized that post-disaster recovery must cover all aspects of people's lives. In his view, building houses alone would not be enough if the government aims to restore people's living conditions to the level they enjoyed before the disaster.
"The most important thing is that disaster-affected people can return to a better life as quickly as possible. They also need to be able to improve their economic situation. That is why this is not only about housing, but also about other supporting factors," Governor
Bobby Nasution explained.
The government is therefore also focusing on infrastructure development and other needs that are important for residents' daily activities. Through this support, disaster victims are expected not only to receive safe and adequate housing, but also to have opportunities to return to work, run businesses and improve their families' economic conditions.
Vice President Gibran's visit to the Huntara in Napa Village also gave the government an opportunity to directly assess the situation of affected residents on the ground. The residents expressed hope that construction of the Huntap would progress quickly so they could soon leave the temporary shelters and move into permanent homes.
One of the Huntara residents, Eti, expressed her gratitude for the government's support during the recovery period. Before moving into the Huntara, she had been renting a house. The government covered her rental costs as part of the post-disaster response.
Eti thanked the government for providing the Huntara and expressed hope that construction of the Huntap would soon be carried out. Permanent homes, she said, would give people who lost their housing in the disaster a renewed sense of security and hope for the future.
"We are also grateful because the government has built houses. We thank the government for building our Huntara. Therefore, I hope the Huntap will be built quickly," Eti said.
With construction of the 699
permanent housing units scheduled to begin in September 2026, the government hopes to provide
disaster victims in
Tapanuli Selatan with safer and more adequate housing as soon as possible. The housing project is also part of efforts to accelerate rehabilitation and reconstruction in disaster-affected areas and restore the social and economic life of the community.
(IDNC)REPORTER: Ahmad Zulfikar | EDITOR: Fik Sagala