Kendari, Southeast Sulawesi (ANTARA) – Indonesia launched its 2026 self-help housing assistance program across Sulawesi on Friday, allocating aid for 8,973 homes for low-income families in Southeast Sulawesi under an effort to help residents repair uninhabitable houses.Minister of Housing and Settlement Areas Maruarar Sirait launched the Self-Help Housing Stimulant Assistance Program (BSPS) in Kendari, Southeast Sulawesi, with renovation work scheduled to begin in June and conclude by August 2026.The allocation for Southeast Sulawesi rose sharply from 1,129 housing units in 2025, reflecting the government's push to expand housing support for low-income communities.“Hopefully next year this assistance can increase again so that more people can benefit from it,” Maruarar said during the launch ceremony.The BSPS program allows eligible residents to repair or rebuild uninhabitable homes into safer and healthier living spaces through government funding.Head of Sulawesi III Housing Provision Center Bakhtiar said the Ministry of Housing and Settlement Areas allocated Rp179.46 billion for the program in Southeast Sulawesi this year.Each beneficiary household will receive Rp20 million in assistance for housing repairs, he added.Bakhtiar noted that 7,238 housing units were allocated to coastal areas, while 902 units were designated for rural areas and 833 units for urban areas across the province.Kolaka district received the largest allocation with 2,248 housing units, followed by Muna with 888 units and South Konawe with 793 units.Other allocations included Kendari with 548 units, Wakatobi with 541 units, Konawe with 491 units, and West Muna with 487 units.North Kolaka received 424 units, East Kolaka 411 units, Central Buton 388 units, Buton 319 units, Bombana 291 units, and Baubau city 285 units.Konawe Islands received 259 housing units, while South Buton, North Buton, and North Konawe each received 200 units.Maruarar was accompanied by Minister of Home Affairs Tito Karnavian, Deputy Chair of House of Representatives Commission V Ridwan Bae, and local officials during a visit to BSPS beneficiaries in Kendari.