Residents react, as 10 new sites for temporary housing unveiled AS THE Government unveiled 10 more sites for temporary foreign worker accommodation, some lessons appear to have hit home for residents, their representatives and policymakers alike from the Serangoon Gardens episode two months ago. In the Serangoon Gardens case, homeowners tipped off before any official announcement had opposed the idea...
Foreign Workers
Residents affected by the new access road to the Serangoon Gardens foreign workers' dormitory have expressed their concerns to their Member of Parliament. They are unhappy that the road will link the site to a few thousand landed homes along Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1, and they said buses ferrying the foreign workers will create traffic congestion and noise. The new access road shifts the dormitory entrance to...
New road, other measures to address residents’ worries SERANGOON Gardens’ grassroots group adviser Lim Hwee Hua probably summed it up, when she told Today: “I don’t expect any of my residents to tell me they are happy, but I think they will be less unhappy.” Following a residents’ petition and a public furore last month, the go ahead has been given to convert the former Serangoon Gardens...
When two dormitories housing 6000 foreign workers sprung up in the private estate of Jalan Kayu in 2005, it led to a flood of complaints from residents. Manager of Tee Up Dormitory, Kelvin Low, said, “Initially, they hope not to see any foreign workers around the estate. This is unrealistic expectation.” 3 years down the road, not only have foreign workers become a common sight here, they are even...
It is estimated that some 100,000 foreign workers are living in illegal accommodations across Singapore, due to a severe shortage of dormitory space. One particular shophouse, for example, houses about 35 foreign workers. The narrow shophouse is cramped, and there are no windows or ventilation. In one of the rooms, six bunk beds are packed into a tight space measuring 1.5 metres by 6 metres. Despite the...
The idea of a self-contained township for foreign workers has been given a thumbs-up by foreign workers themselves. But foreign worker advocates said more should be done to help these workers integrate with the wider community. Singaporeans who do not want foreign workers living near them cite security concerns and even a downgrade in their property value as reasons. But are these fears rational? Some...
The idea of a township for foreign workers had taken off in places like the Middle East, where dormitories for foreign workers, which are sustainable and self-contained, are said to house more than 100,000 people. In Singapore, dormitory operators said this idea could take off given the acute shortage of foreign workers' housing. There are 756,000 foreign workers in Singapore in 2006, with a higher...
The Ministry of National Development is "seriously considering how to create townships for foreign workers which are sustainable and self-contained". Foreign Minister George Yeo said this to reporters at a community event on Sunday. Foreign workers come under the spot light, after an announcement of plans to turn the former Serangoon Gardens Technical School in Burghley Drive into a hostel for 1,000...
National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan said the number of foreign construction workers in Singapore has gone up, and they would need more than just basic housing. "Because the numbers are so large, we also need to look into purpose-built facilities for them. For example, the foreign workers dormitories. We cannot just build housing for them without looking at all the other facilities like sports and...