Expanding Community Care Apartment Assisted-living Model Eligibility Beyond Seniors to Include Special Needs Caregivers and Other Vulnerable Groups

Mr Cai Yinzhou asked the Minister for National Development (a) whether HDB has assessed which groups beyond seniors could benefit from the assisted-living model that Community Care Apartments provide; (b) whether ageing caregivers of adult children with special needs have been considered among such groups; and (c) whether HDB will consider broadening eligibility to non-senior households requiring supported living.

Mr Chee Hong Tat: Community Care Apartments (CCAs) are designed to help seniors with low to moderate care needs age independently in the community. Seniors who are caregivers of persons with disabilities (PwDs) are eligible to apply for CCAs. The Housing and Development Board does not have current plans to broaden CCA eligibility to other groups beyond seniors.

The Government is studying how services can be organised and delivered to households with PwDs who require supported living within the community. For example, the Ministry of Social and Family Development and SG Enable are working on the Enabled Living Programme and Home Support Programme pilots, which aim to support PwDs with low to moderate support needs to live independently in their own homes. Through the pilots, the Government will learn how to better support PwDs across a range of disability needs as well as their caregivers.