UPGRADING OF ONE-ROOM HDB FLATS

UPGRADING OF ONE-ROOM HDB FLATS:

(Temporary units for tenants):

* 3. *Mr Siew Kum Hong asked the Minister for National Development in view of the situation of some tenants of one-room flats having to sleep in corridors and common areas when their flats are being upgraded (a) what are the HDB’s reasons for not permitting vacant units to be used on a temporary basis; (b) whether this situation has been encountered in previous upgradings; and (c) what measures will be taken to prevent a recurrence in future upgrading projects.

The Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for National Development (Dr Mohamad Maliki Bin Osman) (for the Minister for National Development): Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to thank the Member for this opportunity to clarify media reports in mid-March that the ongoing upgrading of a block of rental flats in Toa Payoh had inconvenienced some residents.

The particular rental block is being upgraded under Project LIFE. LIFE stands for Lift Improvement and Facilities Enhancement. This is a programme implemented by HDB for one-room rental blocks where there is a high concentration of elderly residents. It seeks to improve the physical living conditions of the elderly tenants through lift upgrading and the installation of elder-friendly features, such as support handbars and the Alert Alarm System. It is fully paid for by the Government.

When these upgrading works are going on in a rental block, HDB implements a host of measures to reduce inconvenience to residents. The contractors can work inside the flat only from 9.00 am to 5.00 pm during weekdays. They have to ensure that the flat is cleared up at the end of each day. There is an air-conditioned area for affected residents to rest during these working hours. Temporary toilets and storage space are also made available. And the upgrading is done in batches so that these communal facilities are sufficient for the affected residents’ use.

Sir, since 1993, HDB has upgraded 38 rental blocks under Project LIFE and, in all these projects, no tenant has been forced to sleep in the corridors as a result of the upgrading works. One of the newspaper articles showed a picture of a man sleeping at the common corridor of his rental block. HDB investigated and found that he was sleeping outside on his own accord. The upgrading works at his unit has not even started. We have informed the newspaper that they had inadvertently misled their readers by using the picture in the wrong context.

HDB does exercise flexibility in cases of residents with serious medical or mobility problems and will arrange for such households to be shifted to a vacant unit. However, in the recent case, the resident who complained to the press did not fall into this category. He had asked for a vacant unit to store his belongings. He was not happy that he had to store it in the allocated storage space provided. HDB could not accede to his request, so he complained to the press.