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37 families living in Geylang Lorong 3 to be vacated by SLA without compensation

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About 37 families in the 191 two-storey terraced houses in Geylang Lorong 3 are expected to hand back their homes to the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) by the end of this year without compensation.

The residential properties are set to be returned to the SLA upon the units’ 60-year lease expiry – which ends on 31 December – and will later be demolished for future public housing plans, as reported by The Straits Times (ST) on Monday (16 Nov).

“As a general policy, leasehold land will return to the State upon lease expiry to allow land to be rejuvenated to meet the changing social and economic needs of Singaporeans,” the SLA told ST.

The properties were meant to accommodate people displaced from attap houses in Kampong Koo Chye that were destroyed in a fire back in the 1950s.

On June 2017, the SLA announced that the two-hectare land would be handed over to the state with no extension.

Meanwhile, documents seen by ST indicated that demolition works for the properties will commence in the third quarter of next year, and is expected to complete by the first quarter of 2023.

The Housing Board, however, did not disclose details about the future housing plans.

Of those 37 households, the SLA noted that 30 families have managed to find alternative housing, while the remaining seven are “considering renting another property in the interim”.

It was highlighted in the report that five units have been returned “voluntarily” to the authorities by families who have moved out.

As for the other 149 units, they are mainly rented out to foreign workers as well as for religious activities.

The SLA said that it worked with the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) to reach out to the employers of the foreign workers living there to arrange relocation for them.

It also advised occupants conducting religious activities there to consider renting spaces in industrial or commercial premises, or co-locating with religious organisations operating in other areas.

HDB lands are sold to developers to build private condominiums, says blogger Philip Ang

Some of the HDB lands were not recycled to build affordable public housing, but instead were sold to developers to build private condominiums.

This was highlighted by blogger Phillip Ang in his write-up back in 16 September 2018, titled “PAP ministers lie about recycling land to provide affordable public housing”.

“PAP [People’s Action Party] ministers have repeatedly told Singaporeans that public land will be recycled after 99 years to construct affordable public housing. Unfortunately, they are being economical with the truth,” Mr Ang wrote.

“In reality, PAP has been taking back HDB flats – even before the end of the 99-year lease – but did not subsequently construct public housing: the land was sold to private property developers,” he added.

Referencing to a netizen’s post on HDB flats in Alexandra area being taken back by the Government under SERS, the blogger noted that five condominiums are sitting in the land vacated by HDB dwellers:

According to the latest information from propertyguru.com, these condos are going for:

  1. The Metropolitan Condominium (Capitaland) – S$1,150,000 to S$2,950,000
  2. Ascentia Sky (Wing Tai) – Up to S$9,333,333
  3. Echelon (Freshview Developments) – S$940,000 to S$7,806,400
  4. Alex Residences (Singland) – S$950,000 to S$13,000,000
  5. Artra (FEC) – S$1,485,000 to S$2,600,000

Then, there is Margaret Ville to be built on where HDB flat Block 6C used to sit on Margaret Drive. Margaret Ville (MCL) is currently priced at S$842,000 to S$2,000,000.

What’s more, it is noteworthy that during the General Election (GE) in 1988, PAP candidate Dr Seet Ai Mee had assured the residents of Hillview estate that their flats would not be acquired by the Government. Dr Seet won the Bukit Gombak seat, but later lost to Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) in the following GE.

However, PAP managed to retain its seat at Bukit Gombak in 1997. Two years later, the HDB flats at Hillview were placed under SERS.

Today, the HDB flats at Hillview have been replaced with HillV2 mall and condominium.

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WMP raises over S$1,600 in a day to help struggling family clear outstanding water bill

Workers Make Possible (WMP) raised over S$1,600 in a single day to assist a struggling family living in a rental flat. The family’s water supply was reduced due to an outstanding S$900 bill. The mother has been severely ill for months, unable to work, leaving her husband, who earns less than S$2,000 per month after CPF deductions, as the sole breadwinner.

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1 day ago

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3 October 2024

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SINGAPORE: A struggling family living in a rental flat had their water supply reduced on 1 October, as revealed in an Instagram post by the workers’ rights advocacy group, Workers Make Possible (WMP).

In an effort to ease the family’s burden, a fundraiser was launched. By the evening of 1 October, S$1,620 had been raised.

Of this amount, S$1,200 was transferred to the family to fully clear their outstanding water bill and address other urgent expenses.

The family, which had been accumulating water bill arrears for several months, was informed by SP Group that their water supply would only be fully restored if they paid S$450 upfront—half of their total outstanding bill of S$900.

According to WMP, the mother of the family has been severely ill for months, leading to her inability to work.

As a result, her husband, who earns less than S$2,000 per month after CPF deductions, is the sole breadwinner for the family, which includes young children.

With the rising cost of living in Singapore, the family has struggled to manage household expenses, leading to unpaid bills, WMP shared in the post.

After contacting SP Group, the mother was told the water supply would resume if half of the arrears were paid. However, she could not afford the required S$450.

This situation occurs amid rising water prices in Singapore.

The government raised the price of water by 20 cents per cubic metre this year, with an additional increase of 30 cents planned for next year.

WMP argued that despite government subsidies, many low-income families continue to struggle to cover their basic utility bills.

“Subsidies offered by the government don’t come anywhere close to alleviating the struggles of poor families in paying these bills. PUB earned about $286 million in 2021,” WMP challenged.

To support the family, Workers Make Possible organised a fundraiser via PayNow. In a 5:30 pm update on 1 October, WMP announced that S$1,620 had been raised.

Of this amount, S$1,200 was sent to the family to clear their water bill, while the remaining S$420 will be used to assist a young warehouse worker struggling with illness and rent payments, WMP clarified.

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Fire breaks out at HDB Hub in Toa Payoh

A fire broke out today (2 October) around noon in the Basement 3 bin centre of HDB Hub at Toa Payoh Lorong 6. The Singapore Civil Defence Force quickly extinguished the fire and is conducting investigations. The building has resumed full operations, but the public is advised to avoid the loading and unloading bay in Basement 3.

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2 days ago

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2 October 2024

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A fire broke out today (2 Ocrober), at approximately noon at HDB Hub, located at Toa Payoh Lorong 6.

According to a Facebook post on the official page of the Housing and Development Board (HDB), the fire originated in the Basement 3 bin centre of HDB Hub.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) was promptly activated and has since extinguished the fire.

Investigations into the cause are currently underway, with SCDF remaining on-site.

In light of the disruption caused by the incident, HDB has informed customers that they may experience longer wait times for appointments.

“Our foremost consideration is the safety of our staff, customers, and members of the public at HDB Hub,” stated HDB, “We thank the public for their patience.”

Reports indicate that three fire engines, a rescue vehicle, and two ambulances were deployed to the scene, with at least 10 firemen present to manage the situation.

An announcement made at approximately 2.05 pm confirmed that the building has resumed full operations; however, the public is advised to avoid the loading and unloading bay in Basement 3.

HDB Hub, the headquarters of the housing board, is situated adjacent to Toa Payoh MRT station and features retail spaces alongside an indoor plaza and a 33-storey office tower.

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