HOUSING UNITS

Mr John Ede asked the Minister for Local Government, Lands and Housing whether he is aware that the Singapore Improvement Trust has planned the completion (a) of less housing units in 1956 than were completed in 1955 and (b) of a lower percentage of housing units carrying rentals of not more than $30 p.m.; and whether this represents the Government's policy in the matter.

Inche Abdul Hamid Bin Haji Jumat: Mr Speaker, Sir, last year the Trust built a total of 2,795 housing units. This year the Trust expects to complete a total of 2,272 units, although the original estimate for the completion was 3,158 units. The reasons for this drop are:

(1) The delay in the clearance of squatters from Queenstown during the last 24 months.

(2) Delay in squatter clearance as well as main drainage and sewerage difficulties at another building site at Macpherson Road.

(3) Difficulty in the recruitment of technical staff, particularly architects and engineers, which has prevented adequate advanced planning.

The clearance of squatters in Queenstown is now making satisfactory headway, and the technical staffing position has improved.

To the second part of the question (b), the Trust in its building programme this year has planned a lower percentage of semi-permanent houses carrying rentals of less than $30 per month. Government's policy is to make cheap and economical housing available to as many of the lower income group as possible. There are two types of cheap housing being built by the Singapore Improvement Trust at present, namely:

(1) Low-cost housing built to the minimum standards required and to be let at monthly rentals not exceeding $50 for two-bedroom units, and $55 per month for three-bedroom units. These houses, with an expected life of between 80 and 100 years, may be classed as permanent buildings.

(2) Low-rental housing built not quite up to the minimum standards required and to be let at monthly rentals ranging between $20 and $30. These houses have a shorter term of life - about 40 years - and are classed as semi-permanent buildings.

The latter type of housing, that is to say, low-rental housing, which is the subject of the Member's second part of the question, is not suitable for erection on valuable sites in urban areas as it is uneconomical in land, building and maintenance costs, and accordingly has been recommended for erection in suburban and rural areas. The Singapore Improvement Trust is, in fact, proceeding with a scheme this year for the construction of 200 low-rental houses at Bukit Panjang as part of a pilot rural development project. The greater part of the Trust's construction activity this year has been planned for urban areas where the building of low-cost housing of the permanent type has been recommended, and this explains why fewer low-rental houses are being built this year.