hunian

Hunian is a term used in Malay and Indonesian to refer to a place where a person or household resides. It covers housing units, dwellings, or shelters and is commonly used in both everyday language and formal contexts. The word derives from the verb huni, meaning to dwell, with the suffix -an forming a noun.

In everyday language, hunian is often paired with qualifiers that describe tenure or quality, such as hunian tetap (permanent housing), hunian sementara (temporary shelter), or hunian tidak layak huni (uninhabitable housing). It can also appear as a count noun in statistical or planning contexts, for example satu hunian or dua hunian to denote one or two housing units.

In urban planning and housing policy, hunian is used to discuss the stock of dwellings, housing affordability, and the goals of providing adequate shelter for the population. It is sometimes contrasted with related terms such as rumah, tempat tinggal, or perumahan, depending on the nuance of formality or specificity. Programs and policies may aim to increase the number of hunian layak (adequate housing), address informal settlements, or deliver hunian bagi berpendapatan rendah (housing for low-income households).

Linguistically, the usage of hunian varies by region and context. In formal or technical writing, the term is common and precise; in everyday speech, speakers may prefer more common words like rumah or tempat tinggal. Overall, hunian serves as a general, neutral term for the concept of a dwelling or residence within Malay-speaking and Indonesian-speaking communities.