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Tag: HDB

  • Toa Payoh, Woodlands And Pasir Ris To Get Upgrades Under HDB’s Remaking Our Heartlands Programme

    Toa Payoh, Woodlands And Pasir Ris To Get Upgrades Under HDB’s Remaking Our Heartlands Programme

    Three more towns — Toa Payoh, Woodlands and Pasir Ris — will be given facelifts under the Housing and Development Board’s (HDB) Remaking Our Heartland (ROH) programme, said Senior Minister of State for National Development Lee Yi Shyan on Tuesday (Mar 10).

    Plans for Toa Payoh include a revamped town centre and town park, as well as improved pedestrian access to the town centre. There are also plans to develop more public housing and parks around Caldecott MRT station, when it is upgraded to an interchange station along the upcoming Thomson-East Coast Line.

    More recreational spaces will be created along the Woodlands waterfront and the entire waterfront stretch will be opened to the public.

    Residents in Pasir Ris can look forward to redeveloped neighbourhood centres and parks that will feature family-centred facilities.

    HDB will be gathering feedback from residents and community stakeholders to refine these plans, Mr Lee told Parliament during the National Development Ministry’s Committee of Supply debate.

    He added that following a successful pilot of the HDB Greenprint in Yuhua, another precinct will be selected for the programme, which aims to promote sustainable and eco-friendly living in existing HDB estates.

    The ROH programme is aimed at breathing new life into young and mature estates. Six towns have been lined up for revitalisation since its launch in 2007 — Punggol, Yishun, Dawson, East Coast, Hougang and Jurong Lake.

    Addressing Jurong GRC Member of Parliament Ang Wei Neng’s concern that only a handful of neighbourhood centres have been able to tap the Revitalisation of Shops scheme — introduced in 2007 to enhance the competitiveness of HDB shops — Mr Lee announced that a new committee will be set up to fine-tune the scheme.

    So far, about S$8.4 million has been disbursed under the scheme, and one in two HDB shops have benefited from it, Mr Lee said.

     

    Source: www.channelnewsasia.com

  • Khaw Boon Wan: HDB Flats Have Become More Affordable

    Khaw Boon Wan: HDB Flats Have Become More Affordable

    Public flats have become more affordable in recent years, with many Singaporeans able to buy a home within their budget, said Minister for National Development Khaw Boon Wan.

    To ensure that this remains the case for future generations, Mr Khaw said that the Government remains committed to quality housing that is within the reach of most Singaporeans.

    “Every generation will be able to afford their own HDB homes. This is our promise,” he said in the parliamentary debate on his ministry’s budget yesterday.

    Stressing the importance of home ownership, Mr Khaw said his ministry has achieved results in taming the red hot housing market. This was a hot topic in the 2011 General Election.

    Resale housing prices have risen by about 37 per cent since their low in 2009, while new flat prices rose by just 15 per cent without grants. With grants, new flat prices rose by just 6 per cent.

    — SOURCE: MND

    “Measured against the (median) household income increase of 38 per cent, we can see that public housing affordability has substantially improved since 2011,” he said.

    As for whether cooling measures will be lifted, Mr Khaw said that the property market is in transition and that the Government “should not overkill”.

    Mr Khaw also cited a recent Housing Board survey which showed that people were willing to pay up to $300,000 for a new three-room flat, and between $300,000 and $500,000 for a four- or five-roomer.

    In comparison, 90 per cent of new three-roomers last year were sold at below $250,000.

    For new four-roomers, 81 per cent were sold below $350,000, and 89 per cent of new five-roomers were sold below $450,000.

    “These are actual transactions. They paint a comforting picture of young Singaporeans being able to get their first BTO (Build- To-Order) flat, well within their expected budget,” said Mr Khaw.

    Home ownership has also been possible for the lower-income group, added Mr Khaw.

    From March 2012 to July last year, 1,491 families with household incomes below $1,000 had booked two-room or larger BTO flats.

    Yesterday, 24 MPs rose to ask about issues such as the affordability of housing. Ms Lee Bee Wah (Nee Soon GRC) was one of three MPs calling for the $10,000 income cap to be raised, while Mr Seah Kian Peng (Marine Parade GRC) and Mr Gan Thiam Poh (Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC) wanted flats with shorter leases for the needy.

    Mr Khaw outlined plans to help different segments, from singles to public rental tenants.

    Starting from May, half of all new two-room flats in non-mature estates will be set aside for singles, up from 30 per cent now.

    The Government will look for ways to help non-first-timers who want resale flats near their parents, as well as public rental tenants who aim to own a home.

    It is also prepared to raise the $10,000 income ceiling for public flats, as incomes rise, he said.

     

    Source: www.straitstimes.com

  • Pre-Schools Feel The Squeeze In HDB Void Decks

    Pre-Schools Feel The Squeeze In HDB Void Decks

    Long considered the “default” option for situating affordable, accessible childcare centres in Singapore’s heartlands, public housing void decks that are big enough or have the right layout to accommodate them are becoming increasingly challenging to secure.

    Although the demand for childcare continues to grow, adequate space is running out in older estates, while childcare operators said void decks in newer estates are smaller. A spokesperson for PAP Community Foundation (PCF), which runs 360 kindergartens and childcare centres here, said it has noticed a crunch in void-deck spaces since 2013, with spaces in new estates harder to secure.

    NTUC First Campus, which runs more than 110 My First Skool pre-school centres and plans to open another 10 this year, said it has had to combine four to six bays under the same or nearby blocks of flats for seven of its 22 new centres over the past two years to get around the space crunch.

    Late last month, Minister for Social and Family Development Chan Chun Sing, responding to a question in Parliament, acknowledged the shortfall in the number of childcare places in built precincts that lack void-deck spaces. His ministry has worked with the Ministry of National Development to ensure space is provided for in the new towns. More details will be given on other ways to address the lack of childcare places in estates without enough void-deck space for centres, he said. At a separate event, he also suggested that centres could be designed upfront onto the second floors of Housing and Development Board (HDB) flats or car parks.

    PCF said the crunch in void-deck space has been more evident in areas such as Punggol and Jurong West. “(Void-deck spaces here) are either too small for development or reserved for community use,” added its spokesperson. In areas where demand is high, it will look into expanding existing centres. “PCF is exploring alternative spaces such as community centres … and malls with integrated development,” the spokesperson said.

    Agape Little Uni’s director Chris Lim felt the problem lies with how allocated void-deck spaces are not “purpose built”. “I would like to see (a) more holistic and focused approach towards it. Not so much finding different corners to park a childcare centre, whether it’s (a) void deck (or) any other part that is a usable space,” he said.

    Architect Ong Ker-Shing of Lekker Architects, which was commissioned by Lien Foundation to look into innovative design for pre-schools, said void decks often have structural walls that cut the space into pieces, which is not ideal. Indeed, in building some of its centres across several HDB blocks, NTUC First Campus had to build more kitchens, pantries and toilets at these locations, and faces the challenge of ensuring principals are within easy reach. It has also built centres on less conventional sites such as the former Serangoon bus interchange.

    Lien Foundation CEO Lee Poh Wah said a pre-school in a void deck can typically take about 80 to 100 children, which may not be the most economically efficient. In comparison, St James’ Church Kindergarten has an enrolment of 1,200, enabling it to be more efficient, he said, adding that there are about 1,500 pre-schools. In comparison, there are 182 primary schools.

    Asked about the void-deck crunch and plans to set aside second floors of HDB blocks for childcare centres, the Early Childhood Development Agency said it monitors local demand and works closely with the HDB to facilitate expansion of such capacity. “In new estates with more young families, childcare centres are pre-built into new Build-To-Order developments to cater to demand ahead of time,” said its spokesperson. Alternative premises such as workplaces are being explored.

    The agency also said it is on track to meet the target of creating 20,000 new childcare places by end-2017.

    Currently, Little Footprints Preschool at Punggol Field sits on the second floor of an HDB block, which is also connected to the landing deck. While this is one way of addressing the shortfall in spaces, Mr Ong said the feasibility of doing so depends on the size of the centre and configuration of each HDB building. Also, potential challenges include congestion at drop-off and pick-up times, as well as noise. “The planning of childcare centres works best when more open, flexible areas are available to allow for the complexities of managing the flow of classrooms, activity spaces and toilets,” he added.

    Mr Lee said: “There is a need to rethink the space and economics of preschools in order to build quality and affordability for the long term.”

     

    Source: www.todayonline.com

  • Siting Flats Away From City Centre May Widen Singapore’s Social Divide

    Siting Flats Away From City Centre May Widen Singapore’s Social Divide

    With less public housing being built in Singapore’s city centre than in the past, a paper published recently by the National University of Singapore’s Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (LKYSPP) raised the question of whether this may lead to “enclaves” of wealth and social stratification.

    In the paper, titled How Should Singapore Improve Spatial Diversity and Equity In The City Centre, author Wu Wei Neng asked whether there is a need to build more public homes in central districts to foster social cohesion and promote social mobility in the population.

    “There is a risk that relegating new HDB estates to the outlying areas of Singapore, while planning a glittering array of architectural gems, luxurious residences and material offerings for the well-heeled in the city centre, could alienate a large part of the population,” wrote Mr Wu, who added that the paper is not intended to “suggest correct or incorrect handling of the situation depicted”.

    The issue made headlines earlier this week, when a participant at the Real Estate Developers’ Association of Singapore (REDAS) mentorship programme for students asked Social and Family Development Minister Chan Chun Sing if the Government would consider increasing interaction among social classes by building Housing and Development Board (HDB) flats on prime land such as Marina South.

    The paper, published on the LKYSPP website, noted that in the past, HDB flats were built in central areas such as Tanjong Pagar and Chinatown. This has helped stave off challenges such as low-income or ethnic minority ghettos and other “extreme forms of spatial segregation”. However, the last batch of flats in the central area were completed in 1985 at Rowell Court and Rowell Road. Since then, public housing has been sited further from the city.

    Mr Wu cited 2013 figures from the authorities, which showed that around 71 per cent of the completed housing in the central area were private housing units, compared with 22.7 per cent elsewhere. While there have been efforts to develop the outskirts, such as Woodlands and Tampines, high-paying jobs will still be concentrated in prime commercial hubs such as the Marina Bay Financial Centre, he wrote.

    Plans to develop business hubs in the south such as Alexandra and Pasir Panjang may further tilt commercial activity towards the central region. Firms may relocate lower-end jobs elsewhere because of high land costs. As people tend to seek jobs near their homes, this widens household income differences and spatial segregation, he said.

    Having a high concentration of private residences in the city may lead to the formation of exclusive communities for the well-heeled and declining social mobility as mixed-income spaces provide equal access to opportunities, he added.

    However, building HDB flats in the city would mean sacrificing revenue earned from selling land to commercial developers. State intervention also interferes with market forces and may lead to depressing prices of nearby private properties. Locating public housing in pricey city-centre locations also “creates undeserved windfall gains for a select few” when these units are sold, Mr Wu noted, pointing to Pinnacle@Duxton — where resale units may fetch S$1 million and more.

    Mr Chan echoed this point, saying that building HDB flats in prime locations would see buyers enjoying a windfall when they sell their homes at a high price in resale markets at the expense of taxpayers.

    Mr Wu also noted that the majority of Singapore’s resident population live in HDB estates outside the central area and these estates are socioeconomically mixed.

    Property analysts were mixed on having more public housing in the city. Mr Chris Koh, director of property consultancy Chris International, felt public housing estates at the fringe of the city centre, such as Toa Payoh, already caters to a degree of social mixing. He suggested building a better transport network to ensure accessibility to the city centre, while plans to create more jobs across the island will help lift other segments of society.

    But Mr Colin Tan, director of research and consultancy at Suntec Real Estate, felt there is a need for a mix of housing types in every area.

    NUS sociologist Tan Ern Ser felt siting HDB flats in prime areas would “incur more social and economic costs than social benefits”, such as resentment when those able to obtain these flats make large profits when they sell their homes. Schools and religious activities are other ways to bring different social classes together, he said.

     

    Source: www.todayonline.com

  • 5 Common Defects In New HDB Flats That You Should Be Aware Of

    5 Common Defects In New HDB Flats That You Should Be Aware Of

    No matter how well-built a property is, there will invariably be some small defects. Some are pretty serious and require immediate attention, but other defects like hairline wall cracks will not be easy to catch and may only surface a few months later. You might be anxious to get on with your renovation, but our recommendation is to look over your home carefully with a few simple tools. It might be tiring now, but imagine the inconveniences you have to go through in order to rectify the defects a few months down the road! HDB also stipulated on their website that all new HDB flats are provided with a 1-year defects liability period (DLP), which is effective from the date of sale. This means that HDB will rectify defects in the flat as reported by the flat owner, but any defects resulting from the flat owner’s renovation works or usage are not covered by the DLP. In other words, inspect your flat carefully and report any defects found within 7 days of receiving your keys or before starting your renovation.

    PROBLEM 1

    Hollow & Uneven Floor Tiles
    If you’ve opted for a flat where the cost of the floor tiles are factored into your total buying price, then you should make sure that they are in an acceptable condition before you start your renovations. We list out the likely problems and the tools to detect them:

    • Coins or marbles: used to detect hollow floor tiles by tapping on them; a hollow sound usually indicates that the floor tile has hollow spots, a condition which may lead to tiles popping up in future
    • Ruler: make sure your floor tiles are even by placing a ruler on them; if the edge of one tile appears to be higher than its neighbour’s, then do take note. At the same time, check for any hairline cracks on the tiles.

    PROBLEM 2

    Electrical Sockets
    Check that all electrical sockets are working with a simple plug-in LED light and make sure that none of the sockets are rusty, otherwise a report to HDB is warranted. This is only possible after you activate the utilities so don’t forget to do so after you’ve collected your keys! The same goes for TV points i.e. the provided TV cable must be able to fit.

    PROBLEM 3

    Cracked or Slanted Walls
    An insidious problem that may not surface in your initial checks, cracks in the wall can be an absolute eyesore. The good news is you can approach HDB to fill and paint over the cracks even after your renovation. One of our bloggers, PandaGirl, encountered this very problem and it was swiftly corrected by a representative from her estate’s Building Service Centre (BSC). But if you spot the hairline cracks before your renovation, then make sure to indicate them clearly with masking tape and marker pens. In addition, have a Spirit Level handy to ensure that your walls and ceilings are not slanted. Oh, and watch out for leaking walls during wet weather.

    PROBLEM 4

    Clogged Toilets & Leaks
    Sometimes rubbish or cement may be carelessly thrown into the toilets or down the drains. To make sure your pipes are not clogged or leaking, activate your utilities and run the water. This will also let you see if your taps and basins are functioning. Toilet bowls shouldn’t come with cracks and must be able to flush as well.

    PROBLEM 5

    Windows & Doors
    Next on the list are the windows and the doors in your home. Make sure they can open and close without any difficulty, have no rusty parts and are properly aligned within their respective frames. Among the keys that you received from HDB should also be a set of keys to your various bedroom doors (except the bomb shelter and bathrooms). Try these out to make sure the mechanisms are working as they should. Last but not least, check your windows on rainy days to ensure they do not leak.

     

    Once you’ve found the defects, do remember to document them with a digital camera and highlight them with masking tape and markers. Having your own record is far more efficient than relying on your memory, especially when there are more than 10 defects in the flat. Another vital thing to remember is this: DO NOT give your house keys to the BSC personnel and buy a bicycle lock/padlock to lock your front gate instead.

     

    Source: www.renonation.sg