NATIONAL OUTREACH PROGRAMME IN MARINE PARADE AND TANJONG PAGAR CDCs

Mdm Claire Chiang See Ngoh asked the Minister for Community Development if he will provide the preliminary findings on the needs of 15,000 low-income homes in Marine Parade and Tanjong Pagar CDCs which 170 volunteers visited as part of a national outreach programme started in December 1997.

Mr Abdullah Tarmugi: I thank the Nominated Member of Parliament for her interest in the outreach programme. Last year, the Ministry of Community Development (MCD) embarked on a joint project with the Marine Parade CDC and the Tanjong Pagar CDC to pilot the outreach programme in 10 blocks of 1 and 2-room HDB flats in the two CDCs. A total of 167 volunteers from the CDCs, RCs and VWOs were enlisted to go door-to-door to 1,877 households to explain to the residents the various programmes and services listed in a booklet entitled "We're Just a Call Away" published by MCD. These programmes and services include financial matters, family/personal matters, child care, education, employment/skills training, legal matters, elder care and services for persons with disabilities. Copies of the booklet, in 4 languages, were also given to the residents.

The purpose of the outreach programme is to brief the residents living in these flats about the schemes and services which the Government has put in place to help families in need and how they can obtain help when needed. It is not intended to assess the needs of the households. Notwithstanding this, the volunteers are advised to refer families requiring immediate help to MCD for follow-up. 32 families have thus been referred to MCD. The help given to these families ranges from assistance in job placement, financial assistance, payment of rent, utilities and conservancy charges, settlement of hospital bills, supplementary assistance for school-going children to befriender service for the elderly.

MCD is pleased with the programme, and plans to work with the CDCs to extend the programme to the other 1 and 2-room HDB flats over time.