(Delivered in Parliament on 6 March 2018)
Elderly Poor and Home Ownership – Dennis Tan
Home ownership has been a core tenet of the nation even since before independence.
Despite the Government’s schemes to assist the elderly in home ownership such as the Deferred Downpayment Scheme (DDS) and Temporary Loan Scheme (TLS) for “right-sizing”, or having shorter leases for the elderly owners, some basic flaws remain within our system, particularly for our elderly poor looking for the opportunity to own a home in their retirement years. The elderly poor enjoys the same levels of subsidies as the poor in other age groups but is likely to have little or less time to earn any further income. Those who work are likely to earn less than what they used to do in their younger years.
In line with the Prime Minister’s recent message that we should look after the elderly, we should spare no effort in creating a society honouring our senior citizens. Empowering every senior with the ability to own a roof over their heads and to live their lives in dignity should be the least we can do as a society to honour their contributions. I propose establishing a Seniors Support Housing Grant, supporting any individual or family aged 55 and above wanting to get a short-lease 2-room flexi flat for the first or second time. This assessment can be based on their marital status, age and income levels to determine the level of said grant offered, of up to $10,000.
For those who are elderly, poor, and single, the additional Singles Premium is yet another absolute hit to their life savings that they can otherwise spend in their retirement years. The fact that the Singles Premium remains at $15,000 even with a shorter lease being chosen is another loophole that we can address for more affordable housing options for our single seniors.
To reduce the heavy burden of the Singles Premium on our elderly poor singles, we should consider an additional scheme reducing the premium for any individual aged 55 and above purchasing two-room flexi-flats for the first time on a shorter lease. A premium reduction of upwards to $5,000, based on their income levels and length of lease, upholds the rationale of the Singles Premium, but reduces its impact for our elderly poor singles who can then use their savings for their retirement.
Reviewing Criteria for Rental Housing – Pritam Singh
Chairman, public rental housing remains an important feature of our public housing system. The HDB recently announced that from May this year, the maximum number of tenants allowed in four-room and larger Housing and Development Board (HDB) flats will be reduced to six, from the current nine. One of the reasons for this is to prevent overcrowding in HDB estates.
There are times when rental flat applicants share that crowded conditions at home make family living difficult, complicating already existing problems that are amplified in a low-income setting. Part of the public rental flat assessment process includes a HDB enquiry into whether an applicant has other means of family support. Very often, for rejected cases, the HDB seeks the cooperation of the Family Service Centre to address disputes between family members. However, not all cases can be resolved, with some issues particularly intractable. Would the HDB in line with a tacit acknowledgement that overcrowding can affect the living environment consider the number of individuals residing in a current place of residence for rental flat applicants as a factor for consideration at the point of application?
Secondly, can the HDB clarify if its intends to raise the income ceiling criteria of HDB rental flat applicants in line with rises in real income as revealed by the budget so that applicants who are in dire straits are not dissuaded from applying for such rental flats if their situation calls for it. Can the Ministry share how many rental flat applications it has approved for applicants whose gross income has exceeded $1500. Finally, can the Ministry update the total number of rental flats it intends to construct or if the current stock is envisaged to be sufficient for the foreseeable future?
Upgrading Ageing HDB Flats – Pritam Singh
Chairman, many residents look forward to the Home Improvement Program as it address long-time gripes such as pipe leaks, ceiling leaks and spalling concrete, the last of which occurs due to corrosion of steel reinforcement bars over time. While this is a natural wear and tear process, many elderly residents in particular are unable to mitigate the problem with regular painting for financial reasons and a relative lack of mobility for some.
In the course of housevisits to homes where HIP works have already been undertaken, it is not surprising for residents to identify re-occurrence of spalling concrete or a new occurrence in another area of the flat within a few years after HIP works are concluded. Although residents can request for the Goodwill Repair Assistance scheme the cost for such repair can come up to a few hundred dollars in some cases. Would the HDB bear a greater part of the repair cost in view of the fact that the spalling concrete is fundamentally caused by the deterioration of the concrete floor slab in question. This view can be correlated with the point that spalling concrete repair is deemed to be an essential improvement under the HIP. Would the Ministry look to reduce the resident’s component from spalling concrete repairs particularly for flats that have already completed their HIP?
Finally, as the HDB winds down its HIP program what are its plans going forward for next year? Does it plan to call for a new HIP program for flats built after 1986. In addition, can the Ministry share whether it is exploring how it can collaborate from a WOG perspective with agencies like the Smart Nation Office, the PUB and even MTI’s initiatives under the Built Environment ITM to incorporate future technologies with its future upgrading programs? Is there a possibility of pneumatic waste disposal conveyance systems to be part of future upgrading programs at older HDB estates?
Expanding Home Improvement Programme – Png Eng Huat
Sir, many residents living in older estates welcome the Home Improvement Programme (HIP) for good reasons. The spalling concrete and water seepage problems I have seen in some of the older flats in Hougang are serious.
In the past, HIP would replace the main waste and soil discharge pipes in the toilets for all units as water seepage would usually start from joint failure between the floors. However, the last 2 HIPs I came across in Hougang will not touch these pipes unless they leak. A number of residents I spoke to would like to change the pipes in their toilets, and for good reason. Their flats are more than 35 years old and the pipes, though not leaking, are due for a change. I hope HDB can allow residents an option to replace those pipes as part of the essential improvement work.
Next, many residents also wanted to do more for their ageing flats since HIP is going to disrupt their living environment for the next 10 days. Sir, the type of additional works some of these residents asked for are common home improvement works. Things like changing the windows, changing the water piping in the entire flat, upgrading the ELCB, to name a few.
I am not asking the government to subsidise these work but to provide an option to residents, under the framework of HIP, to change these common items in their flats at the same time. The cost of such improvement works can benefit from economy of scale sourcing if they are included in the HIP tender.
While residents can make arrangement on the side with the sub-contractors, these contractors may not want to do such improvement works for the fear of breaking any contractual terms under the HIP.
Finally, I have spoken about this before and I hope HDB would serious look into redesigning the clothes drying rack offered by HIP. The current design impedes repair and repainting works using gondola and it is an eyesore to see so many metal structures sticking out of a single block of flats. Would HDB be open to tap the polytechnics and universities to redesign the clothes drying rack for a change?
Building Communal Space – Png Eng Huat
Sir, the HDB void deck, despite its namesake, is anything but void in the memories of many Singaporeans. Unfortunately, these open spaces that we knew and grew up with is shrinking in many new estates. In its place are rooftop gardens and multi-purpose halls (MPH) of about the size of two 5-room HDB flats. Some of the MPHs, unfortunately, were not designed with much thoughts and considerations for the varied activities they were meant to cater for.
At a recent briefing conducted by URA, I share with the team some of the observations and actual feedback from the ground on the MPH in Hougang Meadow, a relatively new estate with studio apartments. Let me share a few anomalies about the design of that MPH.
First, the MPH at Hougang Meadow is built on top of a car park. To do an event at the MPH, the only way to load and unload equipment and stuff for the event is via a narrow passageway connecting the sheltered compound to the multi-storey car park beside.
Next, because of the proximity of the MPH to the nearby blocks, residents living on the lower floors can see the casket clearly from their windows whenever a funeral is held there.
In one wake I attended, the bereaved family members shared that there is no place around the MPH for the contractor to place portable toilets. For a start, there are no manhole discharge points. Even using chemical portable toilets is an issue as these toilets need to be cleaned every day and there is no way for the service crew to do it in a hygienic manner on the roof top garden beside the exercise area and children playground. The only place to locate the portable toilets would be under the block where the bereaved family lives. It is highly unusual for a wake at a HDB estate not to have sanitary convenience located on site for bereaved families and friends who have to guard the place throughout the night.
The design of the MPH also makes the sending off procession on the last day of the funeral very challenging. The passage from the MPH at Hougang Meadow to the waiting hearse can barely accommodate the pall bearers and mourners. They will also have to navigate a narrow passage past the lift lobby at the entrance to the multi-storey car park, and then make a u-turn down a steep ramp to a connecting car park, and then to the waiting hearse at level one. The alternative route to take would be a longer walk along the same narrow walkway, cutting through other void decks and surrounding blocks, and on to a busy stretch of Upper Serangoon Road.
The same design issue is also present at Hougang Dewcourt, another new estate with studio apartments, but the saving grace is that the MPH is located on the ground floor.
I have shared the above concerns with URA in the hope that future MPH designs for new estates would take into consideration the various requirements of the activities these sheltered pavilions are meant to cater for.
As for existing MPH, I hope HDB can look into correcting the design soonest as the void decks in these new estates are too small and not suitable to hold any events like a funeral.
Heavy Vehicle Parking – Png Eng Huat
Sir, the issues concerning heavy vehicle parking were brought up a few times in Parliament.
We have a strange situation in Singapore in that we have more lots than there are heavy vehicles, but yet, drivers are still facing inadequate parking lots in their estates or near their estates. The demand and supply of heavy vehicle parking lots on the ground generally follows the movement and turnover of drivers living in an estate, and this is something hard to predict or control.
The SMS for MND then in early 2016 had described ways to address the heavy vehicle parking issues so I will not repeat them here. The solutions highlighted by the minister then will take time to bear fruit, In the interim, what can the ministry do to help alleviate the issues faced by heavy vehicle drivers on the ground.
In development plan for Defu Industrial Estate, is there a plan to build a multi-storey heavy vehicle park as some resident drivers I spoke to continue to face parking problems in the heavy vehicle park along Tampines Road and Hougang Avenue 7. A driver told me he has to wait a long time for a vacant lot each time and if he works late, the chances of finding a lot would diminish greatly. He said he has to resort to illegal parking at times although he does so without causing obstruction or danger to other road users.
Can the ministry put up some temporary heavy vehicle park in Defu Industrial Estate in the interim? There are spots of vacant land there and these temporary heavy vehicle parks require minimal construction works and enforcement as all the heavy vehicles have valid parking permits.
I hope the ministry will continue to take a light touch approach in its enforcement of parking rules and regulations when these drivers had to resort to desperate measures to park their heavy vehicles so that they can go home early to get enough rest to drive the next day.
Noise Pollution from Multi-storey Carparks – Daniel Goh
Chairman Sir, noise pollution is a growing problem affecting Singaporeans who live in HDB flats today. Not only are the flats smaller than before, but also the homes and buildings are closer to each other now, thus it is not uncommon to meet residents troubled with stress from noise disturbances.
In 2010, Straits Times published an article on ideas to cut traffic noise pollution, where it was reported that some of the measures used included building multi-storey carparks between residential buildings and roads to screen out the noise. I would like to ask the Minister how effective has building multi-storey carparks near HDB flats been in reducing noise annoyances? Or has multi-storey carparks become themselves a source of noise pollution caused by the amplification of loud engines and screeching tires.
Has MND carried out studies to analyse the environmental and noise impact to nearby homes, or surveys of residents living in HDB blocks near multi-storey carparks?
Prefabricated Construction – Daniel Goh
Chairman Sir, the Government is taking big steps to shift towards prefabricated construction and generating lead demand via public sector projects. Some benefits include significant manpower savings and shorter construction times.
However, we have a strong renovation culture in Singapore, with homeowners aspiring to personalize their new homes. With more HDB flats moving towards prefabricated construction, how will this affect home-owners’ renovation aspirations? Will HDB and BCA provide guidelines to increase public awareness on the renovation and maintenance of prefabricated homes?
Secondly, buyers currently have the choice to buy non-prefabricated flats. I understand that HDB is aiming for 35% of new BTOs offered in 2019 to be using prefabricated construction. What ultimate percentage of new BTOs using prefabricated flats is HDB working towards? Will this create a price differential for resale flats in the future, given the strong renovation culture?
Lastly, as construction defects might take longer to show up in prefabricated construction, would HDB consider extending the Defects Liability Period beyond one year?
Public Housing for Single Parents – Faisal Manap
Sir, the Government has made policy changes to level up support for children of unmarried single parents over the years such as including them in the Baby Bonus Scheme since 2017. However, housing support for such households is still quite lacking. Currently, the HDB “exercises flexibility to help unmarried single parents with their housing needs on a case-by-case basis” but this flexibility does not do enough.
HDB has a scheme called ASSIST or Assistance Scheme for Second-Timers. This scheme, launched in May 2013, aims to provide assistance to divorced and widowed parents with children below 16 years old, who may face challenges securing alternative housing if they sell their matrimonial flat due to divorce or death of a spouse. Under the ASSIST scheme, 5% out of the 30% of the 2-room & 3-room Build-To-Order flats in non-mature estates which are set aside for second timers, are reserved for these groups of parents.
Sir, the implementation of ASSIST scheme is an indication that HDB recognizes and is committed to assisting and alleviating the struggles of single parents who face housing issues.
As we are aware, unmarried single-parents face similar challenges, if not more so, than divorced and widowed parents. Moreover, most unmarried single parents are of young age and a high percentage of them are mothers. Some of these unmarried single parents are not getting support from their parents and other family members due to their soured relationship and as a result, some experience displacement.
I sincerely urge HDB to take further steps in their commitment to assist single parents by formulating a housing assistance scheme that caters to help struggling unmarried single parents.
Local Farming Sector – Leon Perera
Sir, nurturing the local farming sector is important for food security, which is a part of national defence, as well as for creating good jobs in what could be a high-tech, high value-added sector in future.
I would like to ask MND what proportion of the Agricultural Productivity Fund has been disbursed to date. When I moved an adjournment motion on indoor farming in Parliament in 2016, only a small fraction of the fund had been disbursed. I suspect good companies and projects do exist, as some have been highlighted in the media and in Minister’s speeches.
Secondly, as also touched on in my motion, is MND looking into using underground space for indoor farming in the future, which London is doing and which could bring certain food security benefits.
Thirdly, recently AVA has begun to offer 20 year leases rather than the 10 year leases previously for farmland, which is a welcome move. Can AVA confirm if this will be the trend for future farm land tenders? Also, what measures are being taken to ensure that the tendering process is fair to entrepreneurial start-ups vis-à-vis large international agri-business firms, since we may want to nurture innovative start-ups in this sector with the potential to become globally competitive?
Fourthly, around the world a major trend in farming is the increasing take up of insurance and micro-insurance. However our fish farmers have faced issues collecting insurance claims from natural disasters. What has the AVA done to help to educate farmers about insurance and the options they have?
Lastly, and specifically in relation to fish farmers, can MND provide an update on efforts to reduce the risk of disasters like plankton bloom and oil spills which can potentially devastate the livelihoods of fish farmers, among other harmful effects.
Breakaway Works on Landed Houses – Sylvia Lim
Home owners from time to time will re-develop the houses they own. Sometimes, the works on landed property will involve breakaway works, when for example a semi-detached house is re-developed to become a bungalow, or an intermediate terrace house is re-developed as a corner terrace. These works involve breakaways from another house.
I have observed a few cases in my ward where such breakaway works have caused significant difficulties and anguish to neighbours i.e. the houses that are exposed after the detachment. One problem would be water seepage, as a party wall that formerly separated two adjoining houses would now become an exposed blank wall. Another concern that has arisen is whether works done by one party have affected the structural integrity of the neighbour’s remaining party wall.
The URA and the BCA have issued a very helpful advisory guide entitled “Be Good Neighbours” that provides useful guidance on how home owners should go about doing their rebuilding works. It is stated that due consideration should be given to neighbours, such as doing Pre-construction Surveys of properties nearby and asking a Professional Engineer to conduct an Impact Assessment. The guide understandably spends a few pages on Breakaway works, due to the potential difficulties with newly-exposed walls and roof structures.
When problems arise e.g. seepage occurs in the neighbour’s home, how will BCA approach the issue? How far does BCA rely on the Qualified Persons engaged by the project owners to ensure compliance with the relevant regulations, or will it actively investigate? While it would be ideal if all disputes between neighbours could be resolved through mediation, much depends on the nature of the problem and whether there are structural issues involved.
It is not my intention to criticize BCA, as I am aware of the good and efficient work it is doing in many areas. The fact is that residents look to BCA to uphold standards in construction works.