SINGAPORE: More than 29, 000 Housing and Development Board ( HDB) flats will benefit from the next tranche of the Home Improvement Programme, with more than S$ 407 million ( US$ 304 million ) allocated to the upgrading works.
Minister for National Development Desmond Lee announced the program would be expanded to another 371 blocks on Sunday ( Feb 16 ).
Since the program was launched in 2007, he added, this will bring the total amount of cottages chosen for the program to 494, 000, or nine out of ten ready flats.
The selected condos are in Bedok, Bukit Batok, Bukit Merah, Bukit Panjang, Chua Chu Kang, Hougang, Jurong West, Pasir Ris, Queenstown, Sengkang, Tampines, Toa Payoh and Woodlands, said HDB in a distinct press release.
Households chosen for the program can also opt for senior-friendly fixtures, such as portable shower seats, get bars, and slip-resistant treatment of bathroom floor tiles.
This is part of the Enhancement for Active Elders, or EASE program, which was expanded last year to contain more senior-friendly accessories.
About 29, 000 families have applied for the updated initiative thus much, said Mr Lee, describing the take-up level as “very encouraging”.
The Home Improvement Programme aims to address frequent repair issues brought on by older apartments ‘ wear and tear.
As of March 31, 2024, the authorities had spent about S$ 4 billion on the program, according to HDB.
The program consists of two different types of improvement projects: recommended improvements and important improvements.
Vital improvements ensure that residents who reside in older apartments are met with the basic safety needs and that government-funded household improvements are fully funded.
These include fixing pitting concrete, replacing waste or soil discharge stacks, installing fresh clothes drying racks in pipe sockets, and increasing the electric load.
Additional changes are “heavily subsidised” by the state, and Singapore member families pay as low as five per cent of the cost, depending on the type of HDB level.
Such advancements include replacing the hesitate hose grinder, replacing the bathrooms or toilets that are already in use, and relocating the entrance doors and gates.
‘” As our houses and lands era over period, they inevitably encounter higher don and tear”, said Mr Lee.
” As state, we are committed to refreshing, rejuvenating and improving our older lands and our older houses, to ensure that Singaporeans can continue to enjoy a high-quality life environment”.