HDB News

DBSS contractors will only sell at a profit

I REFER to the report "No-frills housing, please" (Feb 9). MP Lim Wee Kiak is right to note that 3- and 4-room flats cost only $15,000 and $20,000, respectively, in the '70s. In fact, even 5-room flats cost only $27,500 to $35,500 then. How did they all come to cost 10 to 30 times more in a matter of 30 years? Have construction costs and salaries gone up that much? Not only have prices gone up, the sizes...

No-frills housing, please

NO PLAYGROUNDS or covered walkways in new HDB estates. Nor any barbecue pits. New flats should have very basic floor tiles, meanwhile. It is hardly the usual call from Members of Parliament, who tend to push for upgrading in their constituencies. But two among their ranks are making the call for "no-frills" housing. According to Dr Lim Wee Kiak and Ms Lee Bee Wah, this should be an option for home...

Minister hopes to shorten rental flat queue with new criteria

A shorter queue for the needy to rent a flat from the government. That's what National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan hopes to achieve when he announced stricter rules for Singaporeans who want to rent a flat at subsidised rates from the Housing and Development Board (HDB). Currently, it takes about two years to rent a HDB flat. But the waiting time may be reduced to one year, with stricter rules for...

Govt unveils measures to support home ownership even in hard times

The National Development Ministry has announced a slew of measures to ensure Singaporeans have a roof over their heads, especially during these difficult times. Speaking in Parliament on Friday, National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan said the key thrusts are to keep home ownership affordable, help home owners with financial difficulties, increase help for the needy and safeguard rental flats. Madam...

HDB tightens rental flat eligibility criteria

The Housing and Development Board (HDB) is tightening its rental flat eligibility criteria with immediate effect to ensure that these heavily subsidised flats go to the truly needy. HDB rental flats come cheap. With rent rebates and discounts, 85 per cent of tenants pay very low rent, according to the National Development Ministry. Taking into account the increased rebates under the Goods and Services...

HDB help for homeowners affected by recession

The Housing and Development Board (HDB) will temporarily reduce or defer loan repayments for up to six months to help households affected by the current recession. National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan, speaking during the debate on his ministry's budget estimates in Parliament, said this move aims to help homeowners who have had their incomes affected by retrenchments or pay cuts. "This gives them...

HDB to accept applications for Lease Buyback Scheme from Mar 1

From Mar 1, HDB will accept applications for the Lease Buyback Scheme (LBS). LBS is a new monetisation option to help elderly households in three-room or smaller flats unlock their housing equity to meet their retirement needs. This was announced by National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan in Parliament on Friday. Under this scheme, HDB will buy back the tail-end of the lease of their flats, leaving...

Study shows Jurong turning into suburban property hotspot

A study by real estate agency ERA has shown that the resale prices of Housing and Development Board (HDB) flats in Jurong appreciated faster than other suburban towns in Singapore. It compared median resale prices in the fourth quarter of 2008 to those in the first quarter of the same year. The study covered three- to five-room, and executive flats in Jurong West, Tampines and Woodlands. The comparison...

Koh Brothers awarded contract to build part of Punggol Waterway

Construction firm Koh Brothers has won a contract to build the first part of the Punggol Waterway in Punggol Town. The contract, which is awarded by the Housing and Development Board (HDB), is worth S$144.6 million. Under the deal, Koh Brothers will build a 2.4-kilometre waterway and its related engineering works in Punggol Town. The waterway, which will have a promenade on both banks, will be connected...

S$144.6m contract awarded for Punggol redevelopment

The Housing and Development Board (HDB) has awarded a S$144.6 million contract to Koh Brothers Building and Civil Engineering Contractor to develop Punggol estate into a premier waterfront town. Plans to revamp Punggol were announced by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at the National Day Rally in August 2007. They include the construction of a 4.2-kilometre waterway which will be connected to Sungei...

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