Tag: HDB

  • 5 Room Flats At Pinnacle@Duxton Sold For More Than $1 Million

    5 Room Flats At Pinnacle@Duxton Sold For More Than $1 Million

    Resale prices for units at The Pinnacle@Duxton premium HDB project have set a new record, with two five-room units being sold for more than $1 million each in transactions completed this month.

    One unit on the 28th to 30th floor was sold for $1.06m, while the other on the 46th to 48th floor fetched $1.05m, according the Housing Board website. The size of each unit is 107 sq m.

    There were at least four other five-room units which were sold between $1m and $1.04m this year, according to Shin Min Daily News.

    Four-room units are also popular, said the evening daily. At least six such units were each sold for $910,000 and above this year.

    Units there are prized for their central location, and those on higher floors are known for their views, say property agents.

    Transactions at The Pinnacle@Duxton have set new records after the first batch of owners fulfilled the five-year minimum occupation period in December last year and were allowed to sell their flats.

    At the project’s launch in 2004, new four-room flats were priced from $289,200 to $380,900, and five-roomers from $345,100 to $439,400.

    As this is a unique, premium project, experts do not expect its sky-high prices to have much effect on the overall HDB resale market.

     

    Source: www.straitstimes.com

  • Dakota Crescent: Singapore’s Oldest Housing Estate To Undergo Redevelopment

    Dakota Crescent: Singapore’s Oldest Housing Estate To Undergo Redevelopment

    Squeals of joy erupted from the Old Dove playground in the middle of Dakota Crescent, one of Singapore’s oldest housing estates, as children played on tyre wheels, and whizzed down the slides at the estate’s farewell party.

    But the scene is bittersweet for current and former residents as it is slated for redevelopment by the end of 2016.

    “When we were living here, it was like a kampong. Nobody locked their doors. We would greet each other as we walked past, unlike these days, where doors are shut tightly. At night, the bread seller would shout out “Roti! Roti!”,” said 92-year-old Tan Hai Lan, who lived in the estate for 26 years.

    The retiree had moved in when the estate was first built in 1958, with her then one-year-old daughter, Dr Lee Jee Mui.

    “We have trees like this, and as we grew up, the trees grew up with us,” said the now 58-year-old dentist, tearing as she recalled her fond childhood memories.

     

    Source: www.straitstimes.com

  • Wajah Kampung Moden Bagi Kehidupan Masa Depan

    Wajah Kampung Moden Bagi Kehidupan Masa Depan

    SUDAH berdekad lamanya kampungkampung di kawasan utara Singapura memberi laluan kepada pemodenan, dan penduduknya ditempatkan semula di flat-flat Lembaga Perumahan dan Pembangunan (HDB) di serata pulau ini.

    Namun, menjelang 2017, sebuah kampung akan dibangunkan di Woodlands – dalam bentuk berbeza.

    Pembangunan baru itu akan diberi nama Kampung Admiralty – tafsiran moden bagi kehidupan kampung yang akan membolehkan penduduk makan bersama, bersosial, membeli-belah dan menerima penjagaan kesihatan di bawah satu bumbung.

    Mengapa HDB, yang terkenal dengan pembinaan estet perumahan moden, mencari ilham daripada kampung-kampung?

    Lebih daripada struktur fizikalnya, kehidupan kampung bercirikan sifat tolak ansur, pemikiran sivik dan semangat kemasyarakatan yang utuh – ciri yang HDB harap dapat diterapkan dalam pembangunan baru itu menerusi rekaannya yang mempunyai matlamat tersendiri.

    Menteri Pembangunan Negara, Encik Khaw Boon Wan, menjelaskan:

    “Projek ini adalah percubaan kami dalam membina sebuah kampung moden. Lantaran itu, kami menamakannya Kampung Admiralty bagi menyatakan dengan jelas wawasan dan semangat yang kami harap dapat kami pupuk.”

    Satu kajian yang dijalankan HDB baru-baru ini dengan Pusat Bandar Lestari Asia di bawah Universiti Nasional Singapura (NUS) dan Jabatan Sosiologi di bawah Fakulti Sastera dan Sains Kemasyarakatan NUS, menunjukkan bahawa dengan melaksanakan rekaan yang baik, ia boleh memudahkan interaksi antara masyarakat.

    Walau telah menggantikan kampung dan memindahkan penduduknya untuk memberi laluan kepada perumahan awam, HDB sudah lama menyedari peri pentingnya mereka ruang yang dapat terus menghidupkan semangat kemasyarakatan.

    Ini jelas daripada hasil kajian itu yang menunjukkan bahawa estet perumahan HDB sekarang sudah pun menawarkan pelbagai peluang jiran bertemu, sama ada secara tidak sengaja di lobi lif, di penghubung jalan, di pasar raya ataupun di kedai kopi.

    Serupa dengan itu, pelan induk Kampung Admiralty direka dengan matlamat kehidupan yang bersatu padu.

    Pembangunan itu akan terletak bersebelahan stesen MRT Admiralty, di tapak tanah yang pada asalnya diperuntukkan bagi perumahan awam.

    Memandangkan sebuah tapak berdekatan akan dibangunkan bagi kemudahan awam, termasuk sebuah pusat penjaja dan pusat perubatan, HDB mendapati akan terdapat sinergi yang lebih baik sekiranya kemudahan itu, bersama apartmen studio dan kedai-kedai disepadukan dalam satu pembangunan, lantas memulakan usaha menyelaraskan projek itu.

    PENYEPADUAN INOVATIF

    Maka lahirlah Kampung Admiralty yang menyediakan pelbagai kemudahan demi memenuhi keperluan penduduk yang pelbagai. Ruang yang mencukupi juga diperuntukkan bagi memudahkan jiran tetangga berinteraksi, seperti pusat penjaja dan Plaza Masyarakat.

    Bahagian atas pembangunan itu akan menampilkan sebuah ladang masyarakat dan taman herba – untuk penggemar tanaman menyemai benih tanaman dan persahabatan.

    Sebuah taman masyarakat juga disediakan – bagi menjadi tempat berteduh, berehat dan bersenam.

    Apa yang menjadi nadi di setiap kampung dengan rumah dan tafsiran kampung moden HDB akan menampilkan dua blok apartmen studio, yang mempunyai ciri mesra warga emas seperti sistem mengeringkan pakaian di dalam dan di luar rumah yang boleh ditarik masuk, sebuah dapur masak aruhan dan lantai yang berdaya tahan.

    Dengan kemudahan seperti pusat penjaja, pasar raya, kemudahan perubatan dan jagaan warga tua terletak di sekitar Kampung Admiralty itu, penduduk lanjut usia akan lebih mudah menjalani gaya hidup yang cergas dan berdikari.

    Keperluan penduduk lebih muda di Woodlands juga akan dipenuhi di Kampung Admiralty.

    Sebuah pusat jagaan kanak-kanak akan dibina bersebelahan dengan kemudahan jagaan warga tua.

    Bagi memupuk hubungan lebih erat antara golongan muda dengan mereka yang berjiwa muda, sebuah taman permainan tiga generasi akan dibina di depan kedua-dua pusat itu, menyediakan ruang tambahan untuk masyarakat berinteraksi.

    KUASA MASYARAKAT

    Kampung Admiralty direka untuk masyarakat.

    “Kami harap penduduk akan benar-benar mempunyai rasa memiliki ke atas pelbagai ruang masyarakat untuk berhubungan dengan jiran mereka, mewujudkan semula semangat kampung yang bersatu padu serta rasa jati diri dan semangat kekitaan yang kukuh,” kata Timbalan Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif (Estet & Korporat), Encik Yap Chin Beng.

    Ia memerlukan lebih daripada strategi penggunaan tanah yang inovatif bagi membentuk masyarakat yang bertenaga di perbandaran yang direka dengan baik.

    Konsep rekaan yang dapat memudahkan usaha mempereratkan jalinan dan interaksi juga memainkan peranan penting.

    Sedang HDB berminat mengkaji, meneroka dan menguji strategi-strategi, hanya sebuah masyarakat yang bersedia dan terbuka dapat menghasilkan perubahan terbesar.

    “Semangat kemasyarakatan inilah yang akan menyuntik tenaga dan semangat, dan membentuk jiwa raga estet perumahan awam kita,” ujar Encik Yap.

    • Rencana ini kali pertama diterbitkan dalam ‘Dwellings, Harmonious Living at its Best’, sebuah penerbitan HDB.

     

    Source: http://beritaharian.sg

  • Signs Higher Income Singaporeans Cannot Afford Private Housing

    Signs Higher Income Singaporeans Cannot Afford Private Housing

    Signs of mid-upper income Singaporeans not being able to afford private housing are emerging.

    Many Singaporeans are clamouring for the government to raise the income ceiling so they can buy public housing.

    Currently, households with a gross income of more than $10,000 are not eligible to buy new HDB BTO flats. Those earning more than $12,000 cannot buy executive condominiums (ECs).

    Lab researcher Tan Si Hui, 30, and her boyfriend have a combined income of $10,500, but they have failed in their past 5 BTO applications. “We don’t want to risk putting money into private property, especially with the rising cost of living in Singapore,” said Ms Tan. She and her boyfriend have no choice but to look for a resale HDB flat instead.

    However, resale HDB flats are not cheap either nowadays. The price gap between resale and BTO flats has been growing. According to government data, the price differential in the outside central region was 31% last year, up from 18% in 2004.

    Last week, during the Budget debate, some PAP MPs asked National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan to raise the income ceiling or remove it altogether.

    “The income ceiling is too blunt a tool, (it) does not take into consideration the circumstances faced by each family such as the number of dependants,” said MP Hri Kumar Nair.

    Mr Khaw disagreed.

    “I don’t think we want to lift the income ceiling completely,” he said, noting that HDB flats are “heavily subsidised” and are aimed at those who need help.

    Mr Khaw, of course, was talking about “market subsidy”, not “cost subsidy”. Till today, Mr Khaw has refused to reveal the construction cost of an HDB flat.

    However, Mr Khaw did hint that the income ceiling could be raised for more Singaporeans to buy HDB BTO flats. But he attributes this to the increase in income level.

    “As income level rises, we must be prepared to adjust the income ceiling,” he said, adding that he would mull over the income ceiling issue.

    The income ceiling was last raised in 2011, from $8,000 for HDB flats and $10,000 for ECs. Before that, the $8,000 limit had remained unchanged for 17 years.

    If Mr Khaw decides to raise the ceiling this year, it would reflect a change in 4 years, compared to the last change in 17 years.

    What does this show?

    What are the implications of such a change in a relatively short period of time, compared to the previous change over 17 years?

     

    Source: www.tremeritus.com

  • HDB Officers May Get Investigative Powers To Enter Flats In Case of Lease Infringment, Under Proposed Law

    HDB Officers May Get Investigative Powers To Enter Flats In Case of Lease Infringment, Under Proposed Law

    Housing and Development Board (HDB) officers will have increased investigative powers to enter flats in cases of lease infringement, under a proposed law tabled by the Natio­nal Development Ministry today (March 12).

    In a press release, the HDB said one of the challenges its officers face is the refusal by flat owners, occupiers or subtenants to cooperate. For instance, they may turn down the HDB’s requests to enter the flats or refuse to provide written statements or provide particulars. “Such lack of cooperation hinders the HDB’s investigation work and enforcement action against those who commit lease infringements,” said the HDB.

    It added that the new law will allow it to do more to help residents and better administer its rules and regulations, creating “a safer and more pleasant living environment”. About a quarter of the feedback the HDB receives are related to ceiling leaks in flats.

    Under the Housing and Development (Amendment) Bill, HDB officers will get enhanced powers of investigation such as being able to enter premises with a warrant, take written statements, obtain photographs, audio or video recordings of the flat if necessary, and require people to provide information or documents that are relevant to the investigation.

    The HDB can enter a flat to carry out investigation and urgent repairs in two ways: It can obtain a court warrant, which gives it the right of forced entry if the owners ignore a 24-hour notice period and do not allow its officers to enter the flat. The HDB can also enter a flat without a court warrant when there is imminent danger affecting public safety or public health — for example, hacking of structural beams.

    National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan first mentioned in December that the Government is looking to amend laws to empower HDB officers to access flats. He said about 30 per cent of ceiling leak cases, or 2,800 cases, take more than three months to resolve each year because of uncooperative neighbours.

    Other proposed amendments include increasing the maximum court fine against errant HDB Registered Renovation Contractors (RRCs), non-RRCs and lessees from S$5,000 to S$20,000 and/or a jail term of up to one year. The Bill will also allow the HDB to impose a maximum financial penalty of S$10,000 on the lessee and RRCs.

    Currently, in cases of lease infringement, such as unauthorised subletting and the misuse of flats for non-residential purposes, the HDB may acquire the flat or impose a penalty on flat owners. The Bill seeks to allow it to vary the quantum of the penalty to match the severity of the infringement, up to a maximum of S$50,000.

     

    Source: www.todayonline.com