Blog Feature: No frills for HDB flats, no playgrounds for children

Today’s Blog Feature is from Lucky Tan who blogs at Singapore Mind, on no-frills HDB flats.

On the same day it was revealed that Temasek Holdings and GIC together probably lost close to $100B or more, this topic about no frills housing surfaced. See there is a small but significant part of our society who can no longer afford to pay HDB’s prices for flats so a number of PAP MPs proposed “no frills” housing. The idea is to provide housing stripped of amenities such as covered walkways, playgrounds and BBQ pits. Without these amenities, the HDB can sell the flats at lower prices. Oh this idea is so brilliant isn’t it – poor people’s children don’t need playgrounds because they should be out helping their parents to earn money.

Hey who needs BBQ pits when you can’t afford to buy the raw meat. Covered walkways? Just bring an umbrella whenever you go out. See the solution to unaffordable housing is not for HDB to lower its prices until they are affordable but to strip an estate of amenities until people can afford it.

Read the full article here.