Comments on: Homeless in our twilight years

By: KC

KC — Sat, 28 May 2011 09:43:52 +0000

Hi. My family is somewhat facing a similar HDB problem. Previous flat was forced to sell at undervalue. Now we have existing loan and putting up in open market rental flat at 1350 a mnth. My mum is a divorcee supporting 2 kids. The HDB is not willing to gve a rental flat because her salary is slightly higher than $1500 nor allowing her to buy a new flat unless she pays up! Any one knows if there is any solution to this? I know tht its the HDB estates officer who is not being lienent here. WHat do we do? Suggestions?

By: RaymondChua

RaymondChua — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 16:32:09 +0000

lilydaam, remo,
When you agree Singapore is in fact Singapore Incorporated with
CEO=CFO= Joker Lee,
CEO Mentor = MM Lee (Mama Lee), so proclaimed “founder of Singapore Inc”,
CEO Advisor = GCT
And board of directors and executive include Hojinx, nepotism,

then Money is the primary reason for Singapore existence (In all business, money is the fundamental and number one priority), everything else remain secondary. And if those secondary thing become a cost, then it will be push to somebody else to do it. That’s why, Singapore gov has reached a stage where only a total revamped gov is needed with no attachment to existing legacy to create a new society for Singapore. Currently, the stage is Singapore is sinking and pretending to float.

Singapore gov has increasingly becoming a router. When it get problem, it route the problem back to the people to resolve !

Amazing gov ! The only successful gov in the world that able to rip money off the public without been questioned and contest !

By: remo

remo — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 15:15:40 +0000

Facing same problem with our HDB flat, we sold our flat and now problem getting Home Loan from bank to buy new another flat. i’m earning about 2k monthly, just because of a default and delay payment in my existing flat with Standard Chartered Bank, all the bank rejected our Home Loan applications, now we are homeless.

DESPERADO.

By: lilydaam

lilydaam — Sat, 07 Apr 2007 03:15:23 +0000

Hi No Line
I agree with you. There is a deep rooted disregard, disrespect for the ordinary citizen that pervade through the ranks. Rules and laws were formulated mechanically.
Look at the recent event where total strangers were forced to live under the same roof utimately ending in tragedy. Grandchildren under 35years cannot rent an apartment to live with grandparent. What were the lawmakers thinking??? It eludes me.
Similarly, they prefer that people end up sleeping on the sidewalks then help them to solve their mortage problem. Their mind set is you die your problem. The easiest solution is to throw the default problem to the banks. Tai-chi master of the highest order like the master they serve. Aged problem… throw it to the families. The Singapore Inc. has no duty towards it’s citizen except the elite.
The rot is deep rooted. The cancer has spread.

By: No line

No line — Fri, 06 Apr 2007 08:23:03 +0000

The problem is more subtle. There is a system but the quality of people or lack of does not support it. The breed is corrupted it is as simple as that! Those who have encountered it will know best.

By: AC

AC — Wed, 04 Apr 2007 04:15:37 +0000

Hi Lilydaam,

My advise will be to call HDB up to talk on the phone first – civil servants tend to be very wary of making any promises direct or implicit on emails. There might be more room for negotiation if you talk to them directly, or better still drop by at HDB to have a face to face chat.

If you are still unable to get any assistance from HDB, you can then escalate up by contacting your MP for help. If your MP is willing to represent you for negotiations with the HDB, it will put you at a much better position.

By: lilydaam

lilydaam — Wed, 04 Apr 2007 03:04:39 +0000

Hi AC
We went back to Singapore to submit our application form. We’ve no exchange be it verbal or written with HDB personnel whatsoever. Neither have we spoken to the officer Ms Tang. She also has not spoken to us to verify any fact in our application. No investigation was done whatsoever. Her name only came to us through email reply from HDB. Does it sound like we antagonised someone at HDB?
I am writing this out of frustration. Ministers, civil servants want pay rise. Shody work yet demand for pay rise. There has been talks about helping the poor etc etc. These are eyewash. What are they doing for those of us who are caught between the rafts. All we need is a life line, just to get pass this phase. Till we are back on our feet again. Like how the gahmen help PR relocate. Is this too much to ask from HDB? Bureaucracy aside. There is no heartware. Only hardware.

By: AC

AC — Wed, 04 Apr 2007 01:06:44 +0000

The HDB is a bureaucracy, and as such tends to stick to regulations and case precedence.

While there are leeway for appeals depending on circumstances – make no mistakes it’s an appeal – it’s a better start to begin with the willingness to accept compromises and tone down demands.

Perhaps the author was unduly provoked by the HDB officer, but if the tone and tenor of this article was used in the exchange with the HDB side – then it is no wonder that little sympathy was found.

Also, while it understandably unfortunate that one have to incur rents or loan charges of a new apartment after selling one’s private property – such circumstances can are hardly be equated to those who are truly poor i.e. those with no private property to sell, no children to turn to, which are then “forced (families) to live in void decks, under the flyover, or in the rubbish damp or on beaches”.