Traditional Javanese Joglo houses will soon disappear from Kotagede, Yogyakarta if the current rate of sales and conversion continues. Based on data from the Kotagede Art, Culture, and Tourism Institute, between 1985 and 2007, Kotagede lost only one Joglo per year, but after the 2006 earthquake, the city has lost 31 joglos. The other 25 damaged joglos have also been sold as the owners could not meet the costs of renovation.

"I cry when seeing the fact," Nashier, an activist from the Kotagede Art, Culture, and Tourism Institute, said. "Can you imagine, a joglo, which has been there for hundreds of years, must be sold only for Rp 5 million (US$500) or Rp 15 million due to economic hardship after the earthquake,"

He said the number of joglos in Kotagede had declined from more than 200 to 125, and the number could drop further if no certain measures are made by the government to deal with the problem.

"We have proposed a tax break for joglo owners ten years ago, but the government has not yet approved it," Nashier said. He also called on the government to find a grant in order to prevent joglos from being sold and converted to different kinds of buildings.

"So far, we have done such an effort. We just got funds from the University of Gadjah Mada to take over six joglos and conserve them," he said.