Sustainable Affordable Housing for a Nation The Singapore Success Story:
About Surbana:
• Formerly the Technical Consultancy Division of the Housing & Development Board ( HDB ) of Singapore
• Unique International Multidisciplinary Building Consultancy Outfit
• Expertise grounded & perfected in practice for over half a century
• Housing for Singaporeans – 27 World Class Townships – 1,000,000 homes
• Key Player in Singapore’s Success Story
• To date, projects in 27 countries & 95 cities
• We plan, Design & Implement Livable Futures
• We pride ourselves with providing 1st mover solutions that help transforming communities globally
• High Unemployment
Sustainable Affordable Housing Shortage:
• Aging Strained Infrastructure
• Increasing Crime Rate
• Pollution
• Traffic Congestion
• Lack of Economic Sustainability
• Energy & Water Security
Government Commitment:
1. Land Banking:
• In 1967, the government legislated the Land Acquisition Act which empowered it to acquire land at low cost for public use.
• Today, 90% of land is owned by the state as opposed to 49% in 1965.
• This Act, together with sensitive resettlement policies, enabled HDB to clear squatters and slum areas smoothly and, and in their place, build new and a HDB flats.
2. Establishing an Institution to Focus only on Sustainable Affordable Housing:
• The Housing & Development Act (1960) gave the Housing and Development Board (HDB) legal authority on public housing matters.
3. Establishing of the Central Provident Fund ( CPF ):
Key Principles
• Self Reliance
• Strong Work Ethics
• Family Support
4. Government – the Banker of Public Housing:
• Cheaper Financing for the Poor
• Land Cost not factored into the Sale Price of Apartment
5. Leveraging off the Social Engineering Dimension of Public Housing:
• Ethnic Integration Policy
• Economic Integration Policy
• Designing Total Living Environments
• Policies to encourage family units to stay together
• Building a more cohesive society
Conclusion:
• Undisputed control of land use made possible through extensive Land Banking at the start of Nation Building
• Land Cost is not injected into the sale price of public housing
• Sustainable Affordable Housing Financing through the Compulsory National Savings instrument CPF – providing Singaporeans with the means to pay for their public housing
• Development & Implementation of standardized housing types and investment in manpower upgrading and building technology from the sole provider of Public Housing ( HDB ) – key to speeding up housing building programme without compromise in quality.
• Establishment of strict rules regarding the purchase and sales of public housing together with a well implemented estates maintenance strategy have helped enhance asset values of citizens through an established secondary market for social housing.
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