TWO-ROOM AND BIGGER FLATS PROGRAMME FOR AGED PARENTS AND THEIR MARRIED CHILDREN

Dr Kanwaljit Soin asked the Minister for National Development when will the Housing and Development Board embark on its programme of building 2-room flats on the lower floors and bigger flats on the upper floors to allow aged parents and their married children to lead separate lives while maintaining close ties.

Dr Richard Hu Tsu Tau: In 1991, a pilot scheme was implemented in Pasir Ris to build 2-room studio apartments on the ground floor of a block with 4-room and 5-room flats on the upper floors. This was to enable aged parents and their children to stay in close proximity to each other, and at the same time retain a degree of privacy.

Under the pilot scheme, 21 2-room studio apartments were built in Block 142 Pasir Ris, and offered for sale to parents whose married children had also submitted requests for bigger flats in Pasir Ris in the 3rd Quarter 1991 Booking Exercise. Only 6 parents submitted requests for these flats. Eventually, only 4 selected the 2-room studio apartments.

The balance 17 units were offered for sale under the December 1992 Walk-In Selection exercise. Priority was accorded to parents or parents-in-law with a child who either had booked an HDB flat in Pasir Ris, or was a lessee, tenant or authorised occupier of an HDB flat in Pasir Ris.

Of the 17 units, 11 were selected by applicants with a child in Pasir Ris, and 3 by applicants who did not have a child in Pasir Ris. The balance 3 2-room studio apartments will be offered in future Booking or Walk-In Selection exercises.

As the response to the pilot project has not been encouraging, HDB has decided not to implement the programme on a wider scale.