HDB replies to Ms Lisa Li’s letter on rental flats. (08 Feb 2010)
Source: TODAY Online
Letter from Kee Lay Cheng, Deputy Director (Land Administration), Housing & Development Board
We refer to Ms Li Shi-En Lisa’s online letter “A flat yes, but not when you need it most?” (Jan 20).
The Housing and Development Board’s (HDB) Public Rental Scheme provides heavily subsidised rental flats to help truly needy Singaporeans who have no other housing options. For example, the rental for a subsidized 1R flat is as low as $26 a month. To safeguard these public rental flats for needy Singaporeans, the eligibility criteria have been revised so that assets, sale proceeds and family support are taken into account. With the revised criteria in place, the waiting time for a rental flat is now reduced. To reduce the waiting time further, we are building more rental flats over the next three years. A large proportion of those currently on the waiting list had joined the queue before the eligibility criteria was revised. Some of them have alternative housing options. HDB has been looking into the circumstances of each case to help those with urgent housing need first.
Ms Li also mentioned “homeless” persons. In many of the cases we encountered, they have sold their flats for sizeable proceeds or have previously enjoyed housing subsidies. In general, families should be the first line of support for those in need. Nevertheless, HDB, other Government agencies and Voluntary Welfare Organisations will assist them if they take personal responsibility for their actions and are prepared to work to stand on their feet again.
As for the two blocks cited by Ms Li, they are vacated flats due for demolition soon. To maximize the use of resources, they are being used for short-term rental in the interim. The current market rental is about $1,500 per month for each 3-room flat. These flats are open to rental to both Singaporeans and foreigners.
We thank Ms Li for her feedback.
Great attempt at stereotyping the homeless HDB. Your attempt at answering Ms Lisa Li, raises many more questions actually.
“To maximize the use of resources, they are being used for short-term rental in the interim.”
I think she meant “To maximize profit, they are being used for short-term rental in the interim.”
Reading this piece of standard template reply just makes my blood boils.
The vacated flats are due for demolition soon. When is soon? 5 years or 10/15 years ? Please clarify, and pls refrain from providing standard murky answers which only makes the public question your credibility as a deputy director. I think you are more qualified to put on a big sun hat and go place summons on hdb carparks.
“With the revised criteria in place, the waiting time for a rental flat is now reduced.”
Of course, it will be. Previously, husband cancer stricken, wife jobless, still can apply for rental flats. After revision, husband cancer-stricken, wife MUST also be medically unfit for employment, then can apply. Problem solved, waiting time reduced by disqualifying some applicants.
“they are vacated flats due for demolition soon. To maximize the use of resources, they are being used for short-term rental in the interim.”
What are the reasons for evicting the original house-owners so soon then? This is clearly a serious operational lapse, or deliberate intention to maximise profits for HDB.
“Waiting time for rental flats has been reduced”.
Please be transperant and spell out, how many months/years, reduced?
Do bear in mind that most the “homeless” sold their flats, simply because they
are retrenched and jobless, hence cannot service their housing loans!
Action speaks louder than words! Walk the talk……….ASAP!!
So they are more concerned about “maximising resources” (read: making profits) than to help the homeless and needy citizens?
“… families should be the first line of support for those in need”
- Same old excuse. If family can help still need to sleep in the parks?
“A large proportion of those currently on the waiting list had joined the queue before the eligibility criteria was revised”
- Instead of blaming the homeless for joining the queue “before the eligibility criteria was revised”, I think HDB should be blamed for revising the eligibility criteria only AFTER the queue is formed. Shouldn’t HDB take pro-active steps to help the needy?
“…if they take personal responsibility for their actions…” – again she is implying that the homeless are not taking personal responsibility for their actions (?).
There’s simply too much red-tape. What is needed, is more common sense in crafting housing policies, especially for folks that fall through the cracks.
They didn’t even want to build flats and now they claim they are building rental flats?
Credible?
Or just another exercise in lips service?
Sizeable proceeds? yeah right? all locked up in CPF now which they cannot take out. If you talk about proceeds that almost all the older Singaporeans cannot qualify.
Enjoyed housing subsidy and still need to rent a flat eventually? this means your flat is priced too high. That’s why they cannot support it and need to give it back to you. They have to sleep somewhere like the PRs and therefore need to rent.
We should really kick MBT out. Then we will have a better / sensible guy in charge. At least a chance.
Not doing anything doesn’t give us any chance.
They didn’t even want to build flats and now they claim they are building rental flats?
Of course they will promised anything you ask for at least for now but don’t you realised its next 3 years???
I thought LKY voilently disagrees with building more rental flats for the needies or those without spurs on their hide during the recent glorious 50th Anninversary of HDB Forum. How dare a small fry officier go against his will by going ahead to build more rental flats.
Dear HDB
How short is short term rental to foreigners? Come on HDB, you always have 5 year, 10 year plans types in your building program. Giving a nebulous answer is so NOT in your character.
How can you just leave it as short term rental? Why don’t you come out & say for REAL that short term rental is euphemism for “AS LONG AS FOREIGNERS OR FOREIGN COMPANIES NEED IT FOR THEIR FOREIGN EMPLOYEES, WE THE HDB, WILL DO OUR BEST TO MEET YOUR NEEDS, YOUR FAITHFUL SERVANT ALWAYS”. That is more like it, isn’t it?
“These flats are open to rental to both Singaporeans and foreigners ”
So for S$1,500 per month, HDB will allow any of us including foreigners to jump the queue for rental of HDB flats ?
So HDB/PAP is greedy for money ! So long as you are willing to pay, our Govt is OK.
If you want to camp at the parks, PAP Govt lose face so cannot.
If you have no money, PAP don’t f**k care ?
Today ST report titled “Uproar over new rental flats going up” says there is 4200 rental flats and HDB is build 8000 more. The need to build 8000 more when there is 4200 show how serious the supply is lack behind the demands.
HDB sleeping on the job.
@ objective
“Therefore I think it is fair that HDB have underlying reasons to rent out the flats.”
Don’t think. Show us the reasons
objective,
is spending $10millions for foreigners integration programme a good way to spend the limited budget?
[i]
Therefore I think it is fair that HDB have underlying reasons to rent out the flats.
Also, no money how to do things, you think everything free from the sky? Please know that the govt have a budget to work on.[/i]
indeed the whole truth
nothing but the GOD damned true
i oarla(ungak you) 101%….
for a start how about cuttin the middle MEN expenses..you know metal/senoir ministers
and the over excess ministers in the prime minister office..what about the mayors and the permanent secs who can take 5 months leaves…
so if we saved all their combined salaries..do you thin it enough to subsidise the POORER homeless REALSICK peasants of singapoor?
Dear objective you are being blinded. A space of 700 sq.km and a population of 5 million – with very exorbitant salaried leaders – who always blame the US and Europe for our economy downturn. Don’t even bother to care for our true blooded Singaporeans whose generations toiled and worked hard to build what Singapore is to-day. Whipped by the riders and drummed into our ears to work very hard then, – and enjoy the fruits of our earlier hard labour at our old age later. It’s only a dream drummed into our ears , at that time in the 1960′s and 1970′s then. However not in reality, being unable to fully receive our CPF and the uncertainties of a roof over our heads and reasonable priced medical care in our retirement. How very sad. You reckon we would have done better as a nation with Foreign Talents from USA, Europe and Australia or even Bhutan working here as ministers for lesser salaries. At least with FT Bhutan ministers, we would be happier citizens with healthy hearts and empathy.
“As for the two blocks cited by Ms Li, they are vacated flats due for demolition soon.”
Yawn…zzzz.
Ya, like the National Stadium…..going, going, almost, wait la…eh hello?…err….so?:)
How many Citizen singles can afford the rental of $1500 for a 3 room flat? Even sharing with another person we need to pay about $800 per month for accomodation alone. If I can buy a 3 room flat directly from HDB, $1500 is more than enough to serve the monthly instalment. So, this is how the govt taking care of the citizen singles!
Short – term rental? HAHA..
Isn’t that what rental flats are for? To be used in the short – term while waiting to get a new flat?
HDB missed the point. Even if it is for short term use, the fact that they are being refurbished and renovated meant that their use are for longer term.
Anyhow, these flats can be used for the needy while waiting for the real rental flats to be built as mentioned before by the minister.
Propositions Astonishing Populace, Prudence Aren’t Practiced.
People Awaiting Properties, Paying And Praying.
Parliamentarians Announcing Policies, Patronizing And Polarizing!
Prohibitions And Probation, Policing And Propaganda.
Politicians Are Posturing, People Are Positioning.
Polls Awaits People. Power Awaits People.
You sure that they rent out to needy people? My grandparents went to HDB, wanting to rent a rental flat, in the end, he was not allowed to rent because he head owned 2 HDB flats before. We were thrown out by my parents. Now we are homeless, we are living in our cousin’s house. And now HDB refuses to give us a house. How can they say that everyone has a roof over their head?
hdb owns this island, don’t you people know ???
reason why they treat you locals as daft, as mm said, daft as daft comes….
brainwashed and soiled….