anything pasal HOUSING

fatz2

July 25, 2008         
Yishun first to get facelift under new estate renewal plan
By Francis Chan


The additions to the town centre include the Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, a new library, covered walkways and improvements at the bus interchange. -- PHOTO: HDB

YISHUN might be showing its age but it is in line for a radical renewal plan that will smarten up existing facilities and add smart new ones.

Details of the rejuvenation plan were announced on Friday night by National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan.

The additions to the town centre include the Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, a new library, covered walkways and improvements at the bus interchange.

A 'Wellness Walk' will also be created to connect the town centre to outdoor areas such as the Yishun Pond and Lower Seletar Reservoir.

The plan, called A Vibrant Hub and Great Outdoors, is part of a nationwide Neighbourhood Renewal Programme (NRP) announced by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in his National Day rally last year.

Its aim is to enhance the value of homes and neighbourhoods, through upgrading and estate renewal projects.

National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan, who outlined the upgrading plans, said: 'Through this initiative, the Government will build the HDB heartland of tomorrow to match the rising expectations of our people and make Singapore our best home.'

Mr Mah also officiated at the launch of the Home Improvement Programme (HIP) in Yishun.

This scheme allows home owners to have certain essential improvements carried out at the Government's expense while it will subsidise some optional ones.

Owners can vote on the work they want done in their blocks.

Essential improvements include mending weathered concrete and replacing waste pipes, while optional ones cover upgrades of toilets, entrance doors, metal grille gates and refuse hoppers. Owners will co-pay between $550 and $1,375 for these, depending on the flat size.

Mr Mah also opened the 'Enriching My Yishun' and HIP exhibitions, to showcase the improvements that will be carried out under the new initiatives.

Exhibitions have been set up at Yishun Street 21 to give owners a better idea of their options under the HIP before they vote on their choice of improvements.

Polling closes on Monday. The HDB requires a minimum support of 75 per cent among eligible Yishun residents before HIP works can be carried out.

fatz2

July 25, 2008         
Tampines Court sale dismissed
By Jessica Cheam


The sale has caused much tension and division in the estate, with some upset residents complaining that the process has dragged on for too long. -- PHOTO: INTERNET

THE en bloc sale of former HUDC estate Tampines Court failed on Friday after the Strata Titles Board dismissed its sale application.

The board said it had examined the evidence and found that the sale was not concluded in good faith.

It said it will release its grounds of decision at a later date.

The Board's decision effectively means that the sale of the estate is off.

That is because the sales committee's agreement with the estate's buyers - Far East Organisation and Frasers Centrepoint Properties - also expires on Friday and the buyers have previously indicated they will not extend the agreement.

The sale has caused much tension and division in the estate, with some upset residents complaining that the process has dragged on for too long.

The majority owners feel the sale price - about $700,000 for each unit - is above what the homes could get on the open market.

But minority owners believe the amount is too low, given that private home prices in Tampines have shot up in the last year.

An independent analyst, Savills' director of marketing and business development Ku Swee Yong, said fair value is likely from $500,000 to $700,000.

Tampines Court is spread over a sizeable 702,162 sq ft site with 560 units. It could be redeveloped into a new condominium with around 1,580 units averaging 1,300 sq ft.

fatz2

Aug 7, 2008         
Housing agent fees: How low can they go?
With guidelines axed next month, rates will come under pressure but big fall unlikely, say experts
By Jessica Cheam

PROPERTY experts expect agents to feel the pinch once fee guidelines are abolished next month, but the big question in the industry is just how low fees can go.

Real estate insiders concede that fees will come under pressure with buyers and sellers free to haggle, but dismiss the notion that rates could plummet to zero.

'In a buyer's market, perhaps, buyers can get away without paying. But agents also need their salaries and ultimately consumers will get the service they pay for,' said PropNex chief executive Mohamed Ismail.

Agents spend about 40 per cent of their commission on the marketing, transport and operational costs of selling a flat. Active agents earn about $5,000 a month, said Mr Ismail, so how low rates go will depend on the individual.

Those who aim for a large turnover of properties might be willing to slash rates but this could be at the cost of service quality, he added.

Mr Eugene Lim, assistant vice-president at ERA Asia Pacific, does not see rates falling drastically as the current rate is one of the lowest in the region.

Fees will be negotiable next month, thanks to a decision by the Competition Commission of Singapore, which told the Institute of Estate Agents to axe its guidelines on commissions.

The 1999 guidelines were based on a 1974 Government Gazette that stipulated a 2 per cent fee payable to agents from sellers. In the past, when Housing Board prices were relatively low, agents began charging buyers a further 1 per cent.

The Consumers Association of Singapore is advising people not to be held to old guidelines and to avoid giving exclusive rights to agents. It also said agents should not collect fees from both buyers and sellers, due to conflict of interest.

The new playing field will offer plenty of scope for buyers, sellers and agents to negotiate, but agency boss Albert Lu of C&H Realty pointed out that the real estate market is 'already very competitive'.

For private property sales, for example, agents are known to cut their commission charges from the recommended 2 per cent to 1 per cent for sellers.

'It's not in the interest of agencies to start price wars, as we end up hurting ourselves,' said Mr Lu. But he suggested that agencies might devise ways to entice buyers and sellers, such as bundling home services.

Industry leaders do not rule out a 'one-stop shop' concept where agencies could offer agent and legal services along with loans, for example.

Analysts believe consumers will be quick to take advantage of the new system and start haggling, but given the slow market, it is unclear who has the upper hand. Prices have eased in favour of buyers but many sellers are not budging, so with volumes down, agents may see an incentive to give discounts.

Homebuyer Vivian Wong, 25, said she will bargain harder while agents vow to fight and justify commissions. HSR Property Group's Mr William Tan, 43, said he was confident of retaining the 2 per cent commission.

'In this new landscape, the better agents will survive because they will offer quality service consumers will pay for.'

[email protected]

fatz2

Mah Bow Tan says home upgrading works will be affordable for all
By Hoe Yeen Nie, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 16 August 2008 2215 hrs


Mah Bow Tan

SINGAPORE : National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan has given the assurance that no household will be left out of the benefits of basic home improvement works.

Mr Mah, who is also MP for Tampines GRC, was speaking at the launch of an upgrading project at a Tampines precinct.

Under the scheme - known as the Home Improvement Programme - introduced last year, basic repairs are fully funded by the government, while residents pay for other non-essential works.

And although rising costs have been a concern for many, Mr Mah said the bill will remain affordable for all. And the Housing and Development Board has schemes in place to provide low-income residents with financial assistance. - CNA/ms

fatz2

More renting HDB flats
By Jessica Cheam


The HDB is building more flats to meet demand, but Mr Lee urged people who are not really in need to look for alternatives like renting a room on the open market or moving in with their children. -- ST PHOTO: STEVEN LEE

THE sharp increase in the number of people wanting to rent Housing Board flats has become a cause for concern, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

Demand for rental flats has tripled in just a year, said PM Lee who described this as a 'worrying trend'.

He said the number of people seeking such flats forms the bulk of cases at MPs' weekly meet-the-people sessions.

The HDB is building more flats to meet demand, but Mr Lee urged people who are not really in need to look for alternatives like renting a room on the open market or moving in with their children.

Other viable alternatives include downgrading to a smaller flat or moving into a studio apartment.

Elderly folk can also opt for the recently launched lease buy-back scheme to monetise their flats instead of selling up and joining the rental queue.

The initiative, announced in February, allows owners to sell the tail-end of their flat lease to the HDB. The proceeds then go to a CPF Life annuity, which will make monthly payouts.

Mr Lee said the growing demand for rental flats is one of the 'wider needs of the public' noted by MPs.

HDB figures from April show that rental flats demand has soared over the past year, with the waiting list up by at least 30 per cent in recent months.

Then, there were about 4,000 applicants in the queue with a waiting time of 15 months - double the wait in 2006.

The HDB's website said waiting times can range from 5.5 months for a two-room flat in Bukit Merah or Jurong to as long as 19 months for a one-room flat in Woodlands.

fatz

Rubbish fires in housing estates up 10% in first half of 2008
By Chio Su-Mei, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 19 August 2008 2154 hrs

SINGAPORE : Rubbish fires in housing estates went up by 10 per cent to 1,097 cases in the first six months of this year, while fires in homes dropped to a five-year low in the same period.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) handled 2,545 fires in the first half of the year.

Four in 10 fire incidents involved rubbish chutes and items discarded in the common areas of housing estates.

Residential fires dropped to a five-year low of 469 cases, down from 510 last year.

Due to the prolonged dry spell in February and March, bush fires jumped 200 per cent to 300 cases this year, from 102 last year.

SCDF officers responded to 59,145 ambulance calls between January and June, a 10 percent increase from 53,886 calls last year.

False alarms constituted 34 per cent of the overall increase, from 1,526 calls last year to 2,048 this year. - CNA/ms



Chute fires on the rise
There are at least three to four such fires across the island every day
By Teh Joo Lin & Kimberly Spykerman


         
Residents suspect a cigarette was the cause of this rubbish chute fire in Ang Mo Kio Avenue 4 yesterday. -- ST PHOTO: SHAHRIYA YAHAYA

FLAMES engulfed a rubbish chute in Ang Mo Kio Avenue 4 yesterday morning, forcing a conservancy worker to douse the fire with a nearby hose.

By the time the blaze was put out, all that remained was the burnt-out hulk of the rubbish bin and a foul stench.

Investigations are ongoing, but residents suspect someone had mindlessly dropped a cigarette down the chute from a unit in the 15-storey block.

This scene, which is repeated three to four times a day, is the leading cause of fires at residential blocks.

In the first six months of this year, there were almost 1,100 blazes in rubbish chutes, garbage bins and common areas such as lift lobbies and void decks, according to figures released yesterday by the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF).

That was a 10 per cent rise over the same period last year.

SCDF operations director Anwar Abdullah said rubbish fires are 'pretty much confined', but the blazes can mushroom if chutes contain flammable materials.

They can create a lot of smoke and affect young children, seniors and those with respiratory problems.

The blazes also make life harder for the cleaners who have to sweep up the mess, like Mr Yusof Khirul.

The 27-year-old conservancy worker at Bishan Street 11 has done his fair share of fire-fighting. In the past six months, he has been called by residents to put out four rubbish fires.

The Hungry Ghost Festival and Hari Raya cause him the most concern, because residents often forget to extinguish joss sticks and sparklers.

'They don't even think carefully about their actions, they just throw,' he said.

Mr Lim Chin Huat, a conservancy worker in Bishan Street 13, found himself battling a blaze two weeks ago.

It was the 62-year-old's fifth rubbish chute fire this year, one he said was sparked by burning charcoal.

'It's terrible. We can't even find out who it was that threw the charcoal into the chute. A dustbin has also been destroyed for no reason,' he said.

Estates in Ang Mo Kio and Bishan have posted pamphlets at lift landings, advising residents to extinguish burning items before throwing them down rubbish chutes. But some ignore the advice, leaving their neighbours hopping mad.

'It's so inconsiderate,' said Mr Gabriel Ong, 39, who works in sales.

'This kind of behaviour affects the whole block and it's so dangerous especially if you live on the lower levels.'

While the SCDF said the fire starters are difficult to catch, it has been keeping track of housing blocks with repeated flare-ups. Civil defence volunteers visit problematic blocks, advising residents to avoid tossing burning garbage.

Dropped items such as cigarette butts, charcoal embers and candles caused over 60 per cent of the 2,545 fires reported in the first half of this year, according to the SCDF. That was one of several figures released yesterday.

While fires around residential premises rose, it was a different story inside the homes. Household fires - including electrical fires, gas fires and cooking blazes - dropped about 8 per cent to just under 470, the lowest in five years.

The SCDF's ambulance service saw a total of 59,000 calls, a 10 per cent rise over the first half last year.

Burgeoning demand prompted the SCDF to earlier announce plans for private ambulances to start responding to emergencies in the middle of next year.

SCDF chief medical officer Tan Eng Hoe said this timeline remains, though the tender has yet to be issued.

Meanwhile, the public can do its bit by refraining from calling in false alarms. These jumped by a third to about 2,050 calls in the first half of this year.

[email protected]

[email protected]

fatz2

Rental flats for needy
By Goh Chin Lian


Currently, people who apply for subsidised HDB rental flats do not need to give such details. -- JOYCE FANG/ THE STRAITS TIMES

WHEN it comes to nipping the problem of the not-really-needy applying for rental flats for the truly needy, the health sector offers some answers.

Eye surgeon and MP Lim Wee Kiak (Sembawang GRC) said the crucial question asked of applicants for Medifund, which helps the needy pay for medical expenses, was whether their family can support them financially.

This meant producing documents to prove family members have little or no money in their Medisave and bank accounts.

Currently, people who apply for subsidised HDB rental flats do not need to give such details.

They need to only show their household income is not more than $1,500 and that they had not sold their property within 30 months of applying for a rental flat, noted Dr Lim.

Five other MPs who spoke to The Straits Times also gave suggestions on how to deal with the problem.

These include educating applicants on alternatives to rental flats and giving concessionary loans to those who want to downgrade to a smaller flat.

The MPs were responding to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's worry over the tripling of people seeking HDB rental flats and his call for those who were not really in need to look for alternatives, such as moving in with their children or renting a room in the open market.

fatz2

HDB Lease Buyback Scheme could be implemented in January 2009
By Julia Ng, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 26 August 2008 1813 hrs



SINGAPORE: The Lease Buyback Scheme (LBS) to help low-income households monetise their flats for their retirement needs could be implemented as early as January next year.

Senior Minister of State for National Development Grace Fu gave this update in Parliament on Tuesday when replying to a question brought up by MP for Aljunied GRC Cynthia Phua.

Under the scheme, first announced by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in his 2007 National Day Rally speech, the elderly will get a S$5,000 up-front bonus when they sell their remaining flat lease, less the first 30 years, to the Housing and Development Board (HDB).

The remainder of the sale proceeds will be used to buy a CPF LIFE Plan, which provides a lifelong income stream of about S$550 a month for the flat owner.

Some 25,000 low-income elderly households owning 2- and 3-room flats could benefit from the scheme.

Ms Fu also addressed a concern that the elderly have over the scheme.

She said: "A commonly asked question on the LBS concerns the arrangement should the flat owner outlive the 30-year LBS lease. I want to assure Madam Phua that no elderly will be left homeless in that scenario.

"One option is lease extension. However, we do recognise that not all can afford the full price for such extension. HDB will have to assess the housing options available for each case on an individual basis, and be sensitive to the financial health and family circumstances of the elderly concerned.

"On the other hand, if the lease needs to be terminated prematurely because the elderly has passed away, his estate will receive a pro-rated refund on the residual lease."

- CNA/ir

fatz2

474 BTO flats in Bt Panjang

HOME buyers are being offered another 474 new flats to choose from, with the launch yesterday of a new Housing Board project in Bukit Panjang.

And for the first time, two new rental blocks of about 300 units in total will be built nearby under the same contract as the flats being offered for sale.

HDB's latest move to ramp up the building of new flats and rental homes comes after demand soared for both types of flats in the past year.

The emphasis in the new project, called Senja Green, is on affordability. Two- to four-room units will be on offer for $82,000 to $270,000.

The flats, under HDB's build-to-order scheme, will be built only if a certain level of demand is reached.

HDB's latest development brings the number of new flats launched for sale this year to 5,000. It plans to launch 8,400 units by year end.

As for rental flats, HDB said it expects to increase its current stock from 42,800 to 49,860 by 2011.

The sharp hike in demand for rental flats was flagged by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in his recent National Day Rally speech recently as a worrying trend.

To prevent abuse of the rental scheme, National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan announced stricter rules last Saturday (23/8), effective immediately, which will see Singaporeans in desperate need of a home given priority for rental flats.

Each month, about 131 tenants give up their flats but 382 people join the queue.

In June, 4,387 were on the waiting list. They wait, on average, 18 months for a one-room flat and nine months for a two-room flat.

HDB said yesterday the rental flats were included in the same building contract 'for greater economies of scale, amidst rising construction costs'.

The launch of Senja Green follows another HDB project in Bukit Panjang town, Segar Meadows, which was launched last November.

As at 5pm yesterday, 177 applications had been lodged for the new units.

Senja Green is located on Woodlands Road and is bounded by Senja Way and Senja Road. The rental blocks are separate from Senja Green but will also be built on Woodlands Road.

The new flats are close to the Ten Mile Junction shopping mall?? and Senja LRT Station as well as West View Primary School and West Spring Secondary School.

Residents can also look forward to the Downtown Line 2 in Bukit Panjang, which will be ready in about 2015, HDB said.

The 96 two-room flats available at Senja Green will come with a floor area of 47 sq m each. They will be priced between $82,000 and $106,000.

The 94 three-room flats will have a floor area of 67 sq m each and cost $138,000 to $170,000. There are also 284 four-room flats of 93 sq m in size, which will go for $211,000 to $270,000.

Buyers can opt for ceramic floor tiles and internal timber doors to be installed in their flats, at an additional cost.

Interested buyers can apply online at HDB's website www.hdb.gov.sg from now until Sept 8.

The selection exercise will start from November. Models of the estates are on display at the HDB Hub Habitat Forum in Toa Payoh until the closing date.

For enquiries, the public can e-mail [email protected].

fatz2

Aug 26, 2008
LAGUNA PARK EN BLOC SPAT
Lost neighbourliness
Residents, suspicious of each other, keep away from estate functions
By Lim Wei Chean


The 530-unit seaside development made news when cars and mailboxes belonging to residents opposed to the collective sale of the development were vandalised. -- ST PHOTO: DESMOND LIM

NEIGHBOURLINESS has evaporated at Laguna Park, the East Coast condominium now split by the prospects of a collective sale.

The turnout at a food festival held in the estate on Aug 17 was bad, never mind that the residents' association had splurged $10,000 on getting professionals to plan it.

Not so long ago, the residents used to enjoy events like these, and bashes during Hari Raya Puasa and Deepavali were popular. Now, the residents' association is thinking twice about holding a do for next month's Mooncake Festival.

Long-time resident Michael Tan, 68, who heads the residents' association, said: 'It's very sad now. People keep to themselves and are suspicious of each other.'

The 530-unit seaside development made news when cars and mailboxes belonging to residents opposed to the collective sale of the development were vandalised. At least eight cars were sprayed with black paint or a corrosive liquid or scratched; last Wednesday, the keyholes of letter boxes were glued shut the third time in a month.

The estate needs to get an 80 per cent 'yes' vote by year's end for the sale to go through. So far, it has got 65 per cent.

A property valuer reckons that an average unit could be worth more than $2.1 million in a collective sale, and the penthouses, almost $4 million.

A police spokesman said the acts of vandalism are still being investigated and advised residents to report suspicious characters to the police.

Security in the estate is contracted to Detec Security Services, which puts guards on duty between 8am and 8pm, during which they go on patrol every hour. This leaves the other 12 hours open for acts of mischief. The guards declined to comment, saying their boss was abroad.

Among the residents, some say life has been going on as usual, but most agree the atmosphere has changed.

One mother of two who has had her car and her letterbox vandalised twice now fears for her safety and that of her family. She now carries an umbrella around 'just in case, this time, someone decides to throw acid on me instead of on the car'.

Even residents who are neither for nor against selling feel the heat. One said he has been getting poison pen letters in his mailbox from both sides, so 'it's like being caught in a war zone with two opposing camps'.

Even as the issue has torn neighbours apart, it has rallied those in the anti-sales camp, who have formed a loose 'neighbourhood watch' group.

The incidents at Laguna Park have sparked off an outcry and calls for the Law Ministry to amend the collective-sale rules to deal with vandalism.

A ministry spokesman said in reply that collective-sale laws were only the 'framework' for owners to decide whether to go ahead with the sale, and may not, by themselves 'be able to change the behaviour of those intent on using illegal coercion'. Such law-breakers can, however, be dealt with under other legislation dealing with crimes.

For those in the anti-en bloc camp, these words are cold comfort. Their only hope is that an impending residents' meeting will end with a 'yes' vote to install closed-circuit TV cameras.

A resident opposed to the collective sale said: 'It used to be peaceful here. Look what it has become.'

[email protected]

fatz2

Sep 5, 2008
Problems 'next door'
But one estate solves them by roping in workers for patrols
By Melissa Sim & Carolyn Quek


Indian and Bangladeshi workers eating and drinking at the void deck of Block 651A, Jurong West Street 61 yesterday. -- ST PHOTO: AZIZ HUSSIN

A DORMITORY for foreign workers may be half a kilometre away, but its problems could still end up on the doorsteps of its neighbours.

In residential areas like Jalan Kayu and Jurong, where foreign-worker dorms have sprung up, littering, loitering and rowdy behaviour are some of the problems residents have had to put up with.

And as more foreigners arrive to work in industries such as construction, where they will live will become a contentious issue.

Early this week, residents in Serangoon Gardens banded together to petition against housing workers in a former school in the neighbourhood.

Though complaints have subsided in Jalan Kayu, where two dorms housing 6,000 workers were built three years ago, some residents say that the problems never really go away.

Neighbourhood committee chairman Terry Fong remembers how there was a barrage of complaints from residents when the dorms went up.

Mostly, they were about Indian and Bangladeshi workers dirtying the neighbourhood by littering and spitting. But there were also concerns about safety as workers had a tendency to loiter in big groups and become drunk and rowdy.

Knowing that something had to be done, the committee roped in several foreign workers late last year to participate in regular patrols around the neighbourhood with the police and local residents.

They were mentors to their peers, helping them understand the laws and social norms of where they lived, said Mr Fong.

There are fewer complaints now, and it is partly a result of getting workers directly involved in security, he felt.

'The majority say it is good that we have this programme, but it is something we have to keep working at,' he said.

The same problems may also plague Serangoon Gardens, if preliminary plans to convert a former school into a workers' dorm go through. Serangoon Gardens Technical School, a proposed site, is less than 10m away from the nearest house along Burghley Drive.

It made headlines this week when residents rallied against the idea. About 1,400 signed a petition, which was handed to Aljunied GRC MPs George Yeo and Lim Hwee Hua on Wednesday.

The Ministry of National Development (MND) confirmed yesterday that the school is just 'one among the sites being studied, and there is no decision to proceed yet'.

But it also noted that the growing number of workers meant that buildings such as the unused Serangoon Gardens school would be needed to meet the housing needs. 'Many state buildings, by their nature, are located in accessible areas. So some are likely to be within or near residential areas,' said the MND.

It was a reiteration of a response made earlier this year to Parliament by Minister for National Development Mah Bow Tan that, given the constraints of land, foreign workers' dorms would eventually be near residential areas.

The Straits Times checked the location of 20 dorms and found that seven were less than 600m away from an apartment block. Dorm operators who spoke to The Straits Times felt that even this distance was too close.

Mr Eric Yeoh, a director of the Ama Keng Hostel in Lim Chu Kang, said a dorm near residents would bring about 'a lot of complaints for sure'.

Another dorm operator said the situation was 'asking for trouble'. The unnamed manager said workers often hung out in groups, and would spit and litter, which people here find unacceptable.

'The workers have had these habits for 20 to 30 years, so it's hard for them to change within a short time,' he said.

In Jurong West Street 61, residents of Block 651A have to deal with boisterous workers converging on their void deck.

The nearest dorm, Blue Stars, is about a 15-minute walk away.

While workers raise their glasses and blast music from their MP3 players, residents keep their windows closed and call the police in to disperse the rowdy crowd. This happens every night.

On weekends, the party goes on till 2am, said residents. When they return to their dorms, they leave a mess behind.

'On Monday morning, there will be bottles lying around, food packets and wrappers. I can even smell urine,' said block resident Ng Hui Ying, 32, a manager who has lived there for six years.

[email protected]

[email protected]

fatz2

George Yeo says townships for foreign workers being considered
By Margaret Perry, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 07 September 2008 2204 hrs


Serangoon Gardens housing estate (TODAY's photo)

SINGAPORE: The Ministry of National Development (MND) is "seriously considering how to create townships for foreign workers which are sustainable and self-contained", Foreign Minister George Yeo told reporters at a community event on Sunday.

Foreign workers came under the spot light after an announcement of plans to turn the former Serangoon Gardens Technical School in Burghley Drive into a hostel for 1,000 foreign workers. This created an uproar in the middle-class Serangoon Gardens estate, with some residents signing a petition against the change.

Mr Yeo, who is an MP for Aljunied GRC where the estate is located, said that he welcomed the debate over the proposed dormitory.

He said that on the one hand, there are legitimate concerns about whether a large community of foreign workers living next door can cause problems, while on the other, Singaporeans must open their hearts to them because they contribute to Singapore's economy.

Mr Yeo added that fellow Aljunied GRC MP Mrs Lim Hwee Hua is writing a letter to the Minister of National Development airing residents' concerns.

He said: "We have to find a balance and we have to create better facilities for foreign workers so that they can get cheaper access to food, to shops, they can have their own places for recreation and so on.

"These, I believe, are ideas which MND is seriously considering - how to create townships for foreign workers which are sustainable and self-contained."

Mr Yeo said a good masterplan is needed to determine how many foreigners Singapore can accommodate so it is "comfortable for both sides".

He said he has visited friends in Little India who are no longer able to use their void decks on Sundays because they are filled with foreign workers.

Mr Yeo said: "We hope we can find ways and means to accommodate foreign workers in a friendly, sensible way, while at the same time preserving certain comfortable spaces for Singaporeans."


- CNA/ir

fatz2

Township for foreign workers could house up to 20,000 under one roof
By Imelda Saad, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 10 September 2008 1855 hrs


Jurong Penjuru Dormitary

SINGAPORE: The idea of a township for foreign workers had taken off in places like the Middle East, where dormitories for foreign workers, which are sustainable and self-contained, are said to house more than 100,000 people.

In Singapore, dormitory operators said this idea could take off, given the acute shortage of foreign workers' housing.

There are 756,000 foreign workers in Singapore in 2006, with a higher number during the construction boom. Most of the workers live in 36 permanent commercially-run dormitories and 18 industrial or warehouse developments.

To meet the shortage in dormitories, the government has said it will be releasing 65,000 more bed spaces in 11 new dormitory sites by 2010.

The concept of foreign worker townships is new in Singapore, but self-contained dormitories had sprung up, like the one at Penjuru Place in the Western part of Singapore which houses 6,000 foreign workers.

The Penjuru Dorm has a canteen, a minimart and even a wet market. For recreation, there is an exercise corner and a space for the workers to play a game of sepak takraw. Cable TV is also available in the flats.

Each unit is the size of a 2-room HDB flat and comes with a bedroom, a living area, a kitchen and toilets. Housing is paid for by the workers' employers and can cost about S$180 per person per month.

Dormitory operators said townships will be similar to this, but on a much larger scale.

Director of Mini Environment Services Pte Ltd, Mohd Jinna, said: "We will be able to handle 18 to 20 thousand workers in one location, with segments of maybe four dormitories.

"There will be a cinema theater, shopping centre, minimarts. We (will) have a beer garden for these workers to consume their liquor in-house rather than going out to disturb the residents." But with such a big township, security may be an issue.

At the Penjuru Dorm, foreign workers are housed in 2 sections of 3,000 units each for better crowd control. Workers are also given biometric passes to move in and out of their quarters.

A group of these workers has even partnered government agencies like the Singapore Police Force and the National Environment Agency, as well as the nearby Teban Garden estate's Residents' Committee, to form a patrol group.

The group of 10 foreign workers call themselves the "Kampong Spirit". They conduct walkabouts on weekends around nearby housing estates every fortnight.

One such foreign worker, Nathan Neduzcheliyan, said: "When we go for the patrolling, we advise the workers. (If) they (are) sitting under the block, talking loudly, drinking, we go advise the people - 'don't do this'. All try to cooperate with everybody. Don't disturb other people."

Property manager of Mini Environment Services Pte Ltd, Jimmy Wee, said: "Workers are involved because sometimes Singaporeans do not talk the foreign workers' lingo."

The company said residents' complaints against the foreign workers had dropped since the patrol initiative was introduced a year ago.

But even with such progressive management practices, the question still boils down to whether Singaporeans are comfortable with living in close proximity to townships housing these workers.

-CNA/yt

fatz2

Sep 15, 2008
Short-term leases a growing trend
More expats, medical tourists and even locals seek interim homes; estates with collective sales delayed cater to demand
By Fiona Chan, Property Reporter


$4,400 A MONTH: rent for a two-bedroom apartment at Langston Ville in River Valley, for six months. This is 20 per cent higher than the average monthly rent in the development.

$7,600 A MONTH: The minimum rent Far East Organisation is asking for month-long stays at a two-bedroom unit in Central Place, Hougang.


$3,800 A MONTH: rent at Devonshire Lodge near Somerset, for two-bedroom flats. Three-bedroom units go for $5,000 a month.

LIKE many property investors, Mr Jonathan Ho has a few apartments that he rents out for income.

But instead of the usual practice of leasing them out for a year or two at a stretch, he offers short-term stays of a few months, weeks, or even days - for about 20 per cent above the normal rate.

'Demand is good. More foreigners and Singaporeans are looking for short-term leases now,' said Mr Ho, a self-styled 'property agent-cum-owner' who also acts as a long-term leasing agent for other owners.

Once extremely rare, short-term leases of less than a year are gaining in popularity, thanks to higher demand from foreigners and a supply of temporary homes created by delayed collective sales.

While there are no official numbers, property agents say the market for temporary leases is perhaps 20 per cent bigger now than a few years ago.

Mr Eric Cheng, a veteran property investor and the senior managing director of property development and lifestyle group ECG Group of Companies, said he and his group own 11 apartments in central areas available for short-term leases ranging from three to six months.

'In the last two years, the demand for short-term leases has increased 15 to 20 per cent, judging from the increase in our revenues from that sector,' he said.

This demand is coming from Singaporeans who are renovating their houses or are in between buying homes, as well as expats on short-term contracts and medical tourists who are here for treatment and need a place to stay for a few weeks.

At the same time, a new supply of interim rental homes has surfaced as a result of delayed collective sales. These estates, in limbo pending sale completions, could be largely empty for up to a year as their sellers move out to new homes.

Other landlords, like Mr Cheng, are capitalising on the demand for short-term leases to get higher rental income for their apartments.

This has helped spawn a specialised market of temporary apartment stays, with some property companies and agents now focusing more on this trade.

Just three years ago, temporary leases were 'unheard of', said Ms Maria Ali Koppe, a property agent with HSR Property Group, who now does a healthy trade in this market.

'People didn't want to rent their houses temporarily, they were scared the tenants might damage their furniture and houses,' she said. Those in need of a temporary lease turned instead to serviced residences or to renting a room within a residential apartment.

But serviced residences, a short-term stay staple, are now near full occupancy, causing rates to rise and prompting tenants to look for cheaper alternatives.

On average, short-term tenants pay 20 to 30 per cent more per month for a short-term lease than the going rate for a normal year-long stay.

But this is still much cheaper than serviced apartments, which cost anything from about $350 to $600 a night. Far East Organization offers month-long stays starting at $7,600 for a two-bedroom unit at Central Place in Hougang.

For Mr Ho's apartments in the prime districts, rents start at $90 a day or $600 a week. The properties in his arsenal include units in Kim Sia Court beside Lucky Plaza in Orchard Road, Spottiswoode Park in Outram and Parc Oasis in Jurong.

One of Mr Cheng's units, a two-bedroom apartment at Langston Ville in River Valley, will soon be rented out to a Dutch expat for six months at $4,400 a month - 20 per cent higher than the average monthly rent in the development.

'The tenant is used to a quieter neighbourhood but he wants to try living in the city area for six months before he decides where to stay more permanently,' Mr Cheng said. 'He doesn't mind paying more for the flexibility of a short-term lease.'

Another of ECG's units, at nearby Kim Yam Heights, is being rented to a Japanese company that renews the lease every three months as it brings in new expat employees here on short-term contracts.

The premiums that short-term tenants pay come with the benefits of immediate occupancy and fewer restrictions than a normal year-long contract, which requires tenants to return the homes to their landlords in their original condition, for instance.

Many short-term landlords also throw in frills such as cable TV, broadband Internet and coverage of utility bills.

The privacy of having a whole apartment to yourself particularly appeals to Thai expat Nang, 29, who is working on contract for a market research firm here.

'I looked at renting rooms at first, but if I can have a small apartment, that is better,' she said.

One unit she is considering is at Siglap Court, an old, rundown block of apartments in Siglap Road that has been entirely devoted to temporary rentals.

Property agents would not reveal the name of the development's owner, but said the estate's collective sale hit a snag and the owner has subdivided the units to lease out indefinitely for the future.

Tenants pay $1,500 to over $2,000 a month for units starting at about 500 sq ft. Most of the tenants are foreigners working in Singapore, agents said.

Other collective sale developments that have units available for stopgap leases include Horizon Towers in Leonie Hill, Oakswood Heights in Spottiswoode Park, Devonshire Lodge near Somerset, Killiney Apartments in Killiney Road and Minton Rise in Lorong Chuan.

At Devonshire Lodge, two-bedroom flats can be leased for $1,500 a week, or $3,800 a month. Three-bedroom units go for $5,000 a month. Tenants include Japanese, Russian and Saudi Arabian expats and medical tourists being treated at the nearby Mount Elizabeth Hospital, said an agent.

While most short-term tenants are foreigners, Singaporeans are also getting in on the action.

Ms Rachel Foo, a former air stewardess now looking for a new job, has leased an apartment at Avila Gardens in Pasir Ris for six months. Her rent: $2,000 a month, almost 20 per cent above the market rate of $1,700.

'The rent is higher but at least I keep my options open, so if I find a job somewhere in town I can always move,' she said. 'I also want to know if I can get along with the neighbours before I commit to a long-term lease.'

[email protected]

fatz2

Singapura : 16 September 2008         
  
PASARAN PERUMAHAN PRIVET SEPI SEBAB BULAN HANTU:eek:  

Oleh
Suryani Omar

JUMLAH unit rumah privet belum siap dibina yang dilancarkan dan dijual bulan lalu menjunam berbanding Julai lalu disebabkan bulan hantu yang dipercayai kaum Cina sebagai bulan yang membawa nasib malang.

Para pengamat berkata ini diburukkan lagi dengan sentimen lemah pasaran, disebabkan ketidaktentuan ekonomi sejagat.

Perangkaan terbaru daripada Penguasa Pembangunan Semula Bandar (URA) menunjukkan hanya 194 unit rumah privet yang belum siap dilancarkan Ogos lalu.

Ini adalah kemerosotan 85 peratus berbanding 1,323 unit yang dilancarkan pemaju hartanah Julai lalu.

Jumlah rumah yang dijual pula hanya mencapai 320 unit, jatuh 64.5 peratus berbanding 901 unit yang dijual pada Julai.

Penolong Naib Presiden ERA Realty, Encik Eugene Lim, berkata perangkaan yang lemah dijangkakan disebabkan perayaan bulan hantu atau Hungry Ghost Festival.

'Lebih-lebih lagi dengan sentimen pasaran yang berhati-hati, kegiatan dalam pasaran hartanah tidak begitu rancak.

'Berbeza dengan tahun lalu, sentimen pasaran yang kukuh mendorong urus niaga walaupun semasa bulan hantu,' kata Encik Lim.

Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif PropNex, Encik Mohamed Ismail Gafoore, berpendapat bahawa kelemahan yang dialami bulan lalu tidak akan berterusan dalam bulan-bulan mendatang.

'Bulan ini sahaja apabila membuka dada akhbar kita boleh melihat banyak pelancaran. Permintaan masih ada terutama sekali daripada golongan penduduk tetap (PR) dan penghuni flat HDB yang ingin membeli rumah privet atau upgraders,' kata Encik Mohamed Ismail.

Encik Lim bagaimanapun menambah berita buruk yang terus menggoncang pasaran kewangan dan mencetus kebimbangan dalam sekitaran ekonomi global akan dipantau lebih rapi oleh pemaju hartanah.:eek:

fatz2

Singapura : 17 September 2008         
         
TINJAU PERUMAHAN BAGI WARGA TUA DI HK

Delegasi S'pura tertarik pada projek berkonsep resort persaraan untuk yang tinggal sendirian, berpasangan

Oleh
Soraya Salim

DARI HONGKONG - YANG tua dan yang muda tinggal di satu bangunan, namun mempunyai kawasan perumahan masing-masing.

Sementara keluarga muda mendiami unit di tingkat tinggi, warga tua diperuntuk rumah sewa di 10 tingkat bawah.

Tujuan projek perumahan itu ialah menggalak warga tua hidup berdikari tetapi pada masa sama berdekatan dengan ahli keluarga mereka, lantas memupuk sistem sokongan lebih utuh.

Itulah antara projek perumahan yang bakal dilaksana Persatuan Perumahan Hongkong (HKHS), yang dikongsinya dengan satu delegasi Singapura yang sedang melawat wilayah itu.

Delegasi pimpinan Menteri Negara Kanan (Pembangunan Negara merangkap Pendidikan), Cik Grace Fu, itu tiba di Hongkong semalam bagi lawatan kerja tiga hari.

Delegasi yang terdiri daripada anggota Jawatankuasa Parlimen Pemerintah (GPC) Pembangunan Negara dan Sekitaran serta pegawai perumahan kementerian itu turut diberi penerangan mengenai projek lain yang diperkenal HKHS bagi warga tua.

Persatuan bukan mencari untung itu telah menawarkan perumahan pada harga rendah bagi penduduk Hongkong sejak 59 tahun lalu.

Namun, ia kini semakin menumpukan perhatian terhadap projek perumahan bagi warga tua.

Satu projek utama yang dibentangkan Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif (CEO) merangkap Pengarah Eksekutif HKHS, Cik Wong Lai Chun, menarik perhatian anggota delegasi itu, yang termasuk tiga Anggota Parlimen, iaitu Cik Cynthia Phua, Dr Lim Wee Kiak dan Encik Charles Chong.

Projek Kediaman Warga Tua (SEN) itu didapati menarik kerana dibangunkan mengikut konsep 'resort persaraan' khusus bagi warga tua yang tinggal bersendirian atau berpasangan.

Dengan membayar sewa antara $43,000 dengan $112,000 bagi flat studio atau flat satu bilik, mereka dapat menyewa perumahan itu seumur hidup.

Selain rumah-rumah itu dilengkapkan dengan keperluan yang sesuai bagi warga tua, para penghuni itu dapat memanfaatkan prasarana seperti perpustakaan, kolam renang, klinik dan pusat penjagaan.

Pengerusi HKHS, Encik Yeung Ka Sing, berkata permintaan bagi kesemua 576 unit dalam skim perumahan perintis itu amat baik, dengan sehingga 170 orang kini dalam senarai menunggu.

fatz2

Singapura : 17 September 2008        
  
TAWARAN TAPAK DI PUNGGOL BAGI EC

LEMBAGA Perumahan dan Pembangunan (HDB) akan menawarkan satu tapak di kawasan Punggol Field/Punggol Road bagi tujuan pembangunan perumahan kondominium eksekutif (EC).

Tapak milik pemerintah itu, Punggol E4, itu ditawarkan bagi tempoh sewaan 99 tahun.

Pemenang tender dikehendaki menyiapkan pembinaan dan pembangunan projek itu dalam tempoh 48 bulan, menurut satu kenyataan HDB semalam.

Terletak di pekarangan Punggol Town Centre, tapak seluas 22,497.3 meter persegi itu akan menikmati beberapa kemudahan, seperti dekat Pusat Bandar Punggol, Stesen MRT Punggol, Stesen LRT Cove, sekolah, kedai dan kawasan menghijau.

Tender bagi tapak tersebut harus diserah kepada HDB selewatlewatnya pada 11 November.

Pemaju berminat boleh mendapatkan borang tender dengan menghantar e-mel kepada [email protected], menghubungi talian 6490-3037 atau 6490-3034, menghantar faks kepada 6490-3005 atau menerusi borang pertanyaan di HDB InfoWEB.

Bagi pertanyaan, pemaju juga boleh menghantar e-mel kepada http://www.hdb.gov.sg/hdblandsales.

fatzcomel

HDB to build more new flats, rental units to meet rising demand
By Wong Siew Ying, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 17 September 2008 1743 hrs



SINGAPORE : Singapore's Housing & Development Board (HDB) said it is offering 8,400 new flats this year, which is 40 per cent higher than the 6,000 units offered in 2007.

Of these, 5,000 flats have already been launched, with a good part of them sited in Punggol, which is earmarked as a waterfront town.

Plans are also in the pipeline to address the issue of rising construction costs and high demand for public rental flats.

The supply boost is a boon but market players said the new flats may not be ready in time for those who need housing in the coming year.

Real estate agency PropNex expects the strong demand for resale flats to persist.

It is also projecting resale prices to climb 5 per cent in the next 6 months.

The agency noted that the prices of new HDB flats have crept up as well, even though they are still below market rate.

PropNex's CEO Mohd Ismail said: "It used to be much lower but because of construction cost(s), the gap has very much narrowed. Today, a brand new (HDB unit) versus a resale (unit), we are talking about less than 20 per cent."

Observers said construction costs have nearly doubled in the past two years. And it's showing on HDB's books.

The HDB recorded a deficit of S$1,081 million in the 2007/08 Financial Year excluding the government grant. That is S$341 million more than the previous year.

The net surplus after government grant of S$1.248 billion was S$167 million.

HDB said it was due to the stepping up of its building and upgrading programmes.

And there are measures to keep costs down.

"We have a crop of building contractors who have been providing very good services to us at reasonable prices. We are also able to do bulk contract, (which is) buying in bulk, that helps us lower building material cost(s)," said Tay Kim Poh, HDB's CEO.

More HDB owners also sublet their flats last year since subletting rules were relaxed. As of August 2008, 21,000 flats were rented out, compared to 13,200 in March last year.

Property agents said one of the challenges for HDB is in providing enough housing for needy families. To that end, the HDB will be building 2,000 new rental flats in various parts of Singapore next year.

Guidelines will also be reviewed by year-end to make sure the rental flats go to people who need them most.

HDB said it will continue with ongoing efforts to rejuvenate public housing estates. It is also studying wider application of environmentally-friendly technologies for HDB flats. - CNA /ls

fatzcomel

Sep 18, 2008
3,000 more HDB flats
Govt to release more units for sale by year's end as demand for homes doubles
By Fiona Chan, Property Reporter


To meet demand, the Housing Board has already released over 5,000 flats for sale so far this year, out of a planned 8.400 for the whole year. -- PHOTO: HDB

THE Government will release 3,000 more HDB flats for sale by the end of the year, amid a doubling of demand for flats by home buyers.

'Demand for new flats from young couples has definitely gone up since 2006,' Mr Tay Kim Poh, the HDB's chief executive, told reporters at the release of the board's annual report on Tuesday.

Flat buyers bought 11,991 new flats in the year ended March 31, more than double the 5,712 recorded the year before.

To meet demand, the Housing Board has already released over 5,000 flats for sale so far this year, out of a planned 8.400 for the whole year. This is 40 per cent more than last year's 6,000, which was already higher than the year before. Next year, 'should the demand remain strong', the HDB 'will release just as many' flats, Mr Tay said.

For now, though, 'unless our population grows very fast, there is no need to build at the same level as the 1980s', he added.

The HDB's unsold stock has dwindled from about 2,000 flats last year to some 1,500 now. Hopeful buyers have complained of difficulties and long waits in trying to secure a home.

'Young couples looking for a flat should not come to us for a new flat. We don't have a ready supply,' Mr Tay said.

First-time buyers who are not particular about location, however, usually bag a flat on their first or second try, he said.

He also stressed that while the board is 'concerned' about rising construction costs, HDB flats remain 'very affordable'. At this point, flat buyers are using about 20 per cent of their incomes to service their loans, and most do not have to use all of their Central Provident Fund money, he said.

'When we price our flats, we don't link it to development costs, but to market prices. If market prices stabilise, like they are appearing to do now, our flat prices will also be stable.'

Higher construction expenses, which by some estimates have risen by 20 per cent to 30 per cent in the last year, have hit the HDB less severely than some private developers. The board buys materials in bulk to supply to its contractors, mitigating the increase in costs, said Mr Sng Cheng Keh, its director of development and procurement.

For this year, the HDB's focus is to meet the 'rising aspirations' of flat buyers and dwellers, said Mr Tay.

[email protected]

fatzcomel

Singapura : 19 September 2008        
  
HARGA FLAT JUALAN SEMULA DIJANGKA TERUS KUKUH

Oleh
Rosebi Mohd Sah

PARA pengamat hartanah meramalkan permintaan dan harga flat jualan semula akan terus kukuh dalam enam bulan kedua tahun ini walau terdapat bekalan tambahan flat baru HDB.

Mereka berkata demikian selepas pemerintah mengumumkan akan menambah lagi 3,400 flat baru dari sekarang hingga Disember ini bagi menjadikan jumlah keseluruhan flat baru tahun ini kepada 8,400 flat - 40 peratus lebih tinggi berbanding tahun lalu.

Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif PropNex, Encik Mohamed Ismail Gafoore, berkata projek flat baru seperti model bina ikut tempahan (BTO) dan model reka, bina dan jual (DBSS) mengambil sekitar tiga tahun untuk siap.

'Ini mungkin tidak sesuai bagi pembeli dan mereka akan terus meninjau pasaran flat jualan semula.

'Juga pasangan muda dan keluarga muda masih memilih flat-flat jualan semula untuk tinggal berdekatan dengan orang tua mereka di estet-estet lama bagi mengambil kesempatan geran CPF sehingga $70,000,' tambahnya yang menjangka harga flat jualan semula akan meningkat 5 peratus.

Bagi pasaran flat sewa HDB pula, Encik Ismail berpendapat adalah lebih baik membeli daripada menyewa flat.

Memberi contoh, beliau berkata dengan pinjaman 80 peratus bagi membeli flat empat bilik di Ang Mo Kio berharga $321,000, pembeli perlu membayar $1,000 sebulan selama 25 tahun.

'Menyewa flat yang sama $1,730 sebulan bagi jangka panjang tentu tidak praktikal,' ujarnya.

Sependapat, Penolong Naib Presiden ERA, Encik Eugene Lim, berkata flat-flat baru HDB biasanya menarik perhatian golongan pembeli flat pertama kali yang jumlahnya tidak tinggi.

'Bagi yang tidak boleh tunggu lama, mereka terpaksa membeli flat jualan semula.

'Justeru harga flat jualan semula akan terus kukuh disebabkan permintaan tinggi daripada penduduk awam dan juga penduduk tetap yang jumlahnya semakin meningkat di sini,' tambahnya.