#Sublime Sunday - Housing Flats
Welcome to #SublimeSunday, a tag presenting you with the unique opportunity to post something a bit different, wacky, crazy or just whatever takes your fancy, initiated by @c0ff33a ☕️
Today, I will post a brief introduction to the public housing situation in Singapore.
About 80% of Singaporeans live in HDB flats. HDB flats, or Housing Development Board flats, are public housing developed by the Singapore government. Citizens buy – actually leasehold is more appropriate – the flat for 99 years from the government. The flat is returned to the government when the 99 years leasehold is up.
HDB flats are located in housing estates, which are self-contained satellite towns with schools, supermarkets, clinics, hawker centres, and sports and recreational facilities. Each estate has a Town Council. The town council will manage, maintain and improve the common property of the estates. They will also handle any grievances or complains the residents may have.
The HDB flats come in various sizes. There are extended family units - these are for those who are living with their parents and children – three generations living under the same roof. Then there are point blocks – these are more spacious, and more private. There are only four units in each floor. After that, there are five-room, four-room, three-room and two-room apartments. And, there are also studio apartments.
Definitions of HDB flats.
Extended family unit - I have never seen or been in one before, but from what I understood, there is an extra room away from the normal design to give the extra bit of privacy.
Five-room flat - three bedrooms, hall and dining hall flat.
Four-room flat - three bedrooms and a hall.
Three-room flat - two bedrooms and a hall
Two-room flat - one bedroom and a hall.
The HDB is constantly upgrading their designs to keep up with the changing times. The older flats are bigger. Flats nowadays are smaller due to the lack of land.
This is a point block. There are only four five-room units on one floor.
The blocks behind the point blocks are 'normal' blocks consisting of a mixture of four-room, and three-room flats. Yours truly is in the second block from the point block.
Does this looks like pigeon holes to you. That's what some foreigners remarked about the flats.
If for some reason, you do not like to live in HDB flats, but are unable to afford a private property, you can opt for Executive Condominiums, or ECs. These are more upmarket apartments with facilities like swimming pool, barbecue pits, function rooms and a gymnasium. You will notice a tennis court beside the street lamp.
In the following picture,the building on the left is a point block. The one on the right is an Executive Condominium.
In this way, most people in Singapore are homeowners. For those who can't afford to buy their own home, they can lease the flats from the HDB at a subsidized rate.
This is just a brief account of the public housing in Singapore. Feel free to ask, if you wish to know more.
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This is fascinating, but I have to wonder about the 99 year lease hold - what happens when the 99 years is up? If the flat had been passed down the family, and they still lived there - would they have to leave at 99 years? Or could they buy again for another 99 years?
The buildings are very space efficient but it must feel very enclosed not having a garden to go out into or a fence to talk to your neighbour over.
Excellent photos, I really enjoyed this post informative and educational.
#thealliance #witness
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Howdy @c0ff33a! When the 99 years is up, the flat will be returned to the government. I assume they will tear them down and rebuilt, or redevelop the place.
Singapore is a very young republic. It is only 53 coming to 54 years old. The Housing scheme was initiated a few years before Singapore became a republic. The first batch of flats would be only about 58 years. So, we haven't witness any return of the flats, or what the government did with them.
Actually it is inaccurate to say that. There had been instances when the government needed the land for development. So, what they did was they bought back the flats at market value, and the residents were given priority in choosing a new flat somewhere else. I think they also compensate the residents for the inconvenience, but I am not sure what the compensation package was like.
Land is scarce in this tiny island. Landed property is a luxury. You have to be very rich to be able to afford one, or unless it was passed down by the your ancestors. But if you were born and raised in the HDB flat, you would have gotten used to the space constraint.
As in most apartment flats everywhere (I guess), residents don't really interact. People come back go into their flats and the door is closed. Some friendlier ones will exchange pleasantries when they happen to meet.
I hope that answers your questions. Feel free to ask if you are interested to know more, or for anything that you want clarification.
Cheers!
When I first read this, it reminded me of Thomas Jefferson's plan for restoring freedom in America, called The Hundreds. This is taken from that article by Doug Casey:
In retrospect, these housing estates are more like Home Owner Associations in the US, except that homes within HOA's are privately owned, or at least we like to think so. Those who don't pay their property taxes soon find out who really owns their home.
Maybe it was at a different time. But a hundred doesn't seem like a lot.
Interesting
Thank you for taking a look. :-)