Public Housing Flashcards
HDB is
- home to most Singaporeans
- Quintessential part of SG identity & experience
What is HDB like today?
- 82% of Singaporeans live in HDB flats
- 90% own their flats
Public Housing in the 60s
- Rapid population growth
- Poor housing conditions
- Severe housing shortage
Public Housing in 1970s
- Pragmatic development approach adopted
- Built basic but highly functional housing
- Housing crunch eased under 10 years
Public Housing in 1980s
- Technological advances
- computerized maintenance system
- estate conservancy mechanized
Public Housing in 1990s
- high-rise high-density building form
- visual & spatial relief with green areas & open spaces
Public Housing in 2000s
- First iconic 50-storey integrated housing development with world’s longest skybridge garden
- Award-winning design
Public Housing beyond 2000s
green home for the future
When is the idea of Town Council born?
1984
Who suggested town councils
Mr Lim Boo Heng
When is Town Council Act?
- 1988
Where is the town council first pilot?
Ang Mo Kio New Town
what town councils is doing since 1990s
manage all public housing estate
objective of town council
- transfer responsibilities for estate management from HDB to local Town Councils
- allow participation by HDB residents in policy formulation and decision making on local estate matters
- provide MPs the opportunity to lead the Town Councils
Boundary of Town Council
- PM appoints an Electoral Boundaries Review Committee (EBRC) to recommend how each constituency should be demarcated
- Electoral divisions are changed according to population growth& shifts
- Non-HDB properties are excluded
Composition
- Elected Members & Appointed Members
- Chairman must be an elected member
- Vice Chairman – maximum 2
- Appointed Members – Minimum 6 & maximum up to 10 per MP or 30 whichever is greater
- Not less than 2/3 of appointed members must be residents of HDB estates within Town
- Secretary to the Town Council
Functions
- Control, manage, maintain & improve estate
- State of good & serviceable repair
- Proper & clean condition
- Also includes hawker centres & markets
Functions: Control & manage & improve common areas
- conservancy
- landscaping
- repairs
- manage arrears
- Essential maintenance & lift rescue services
Functions: Routine maintenance includes
- Conservancy & cleansing
- Maintenance of M&E services including lifts, pumps, public lightings
- Building maintenance
- Horticultural maintenance & grass cutting
Functions: Cyclical maintenance includes
- Repair & Redecoration (R&R)
- Re-roofing
- Electrical rewiring
- Lift works
- Replacement of pumps
Functions: Optional Areas
- markets and hawkers of NEA, HSB’s car parks
Power of TC
- Acquisition of property
- Imposition of charges
- Appointment of managing agents
- Enactment of by-laws
- Power to borrow
- Investment of surplus funds
Financing
- gov. grant
- service & conservancy charges
- operating
- miscellaneous income
- community improvement project committee
the gov grant
- size of grant is based on
- number, type & age of town
- heavier subsidy for the one & two-room flats
- heavier maintenance requirements, bigger subsidies compared to newer estates
Service & Conservancy Charges of TC
- Town Council - collects S&CC from residents for the services rendered
- Vacant units - HDB will have to pay S&CC to Town Council
- Town Council - right & power to adjust the charge
Operating fee
- optional for town council
- Car parks, market and hawker centers
miscellaneous income
- rental for use of void deck & open space
- TOL fee from shops which wish to
put up advertising banner at designated location
Community Improvement Project Committee
- Town Council seeks fund from CIPC to implement project
- CIPC under MND
- Amount of funding ranges from 75% to 100% of the cost of project
Arrears Management (TC)
- can impose interest on any sums remaining unpaid 30 days after it becomes due
- serve written demand on the owner/tenant to demand the arrears
- after 14 days from notice & if there is still arrears, owner/tenant is deemed to have committed offence & Town Council can bring them to court where he can be fined up to $1k
- can also serve on the owner a notice of sale if the arrears remain outstanding 90 days after the written demand has been served.
- can proceed to sell the flat after another 90 days from the notice of sale
- can also go to Small Claims Tribunal for sun less than $2k and not outstanding for more than a year
HDB Branch Offices are involved in…
Lease administration & building maintenance not under the scope of Town Councils
Lease
➢Transfer of flat ownership
➢ Inclusion/deletion of flat occupiers
➢ Subletting of flats
➢ Home office application
➢ Purchase of recess areas
➢ Notice of Death & Transmission
➢ Retention of flat
Tenancy in TC
Change, renewal & termination of tenancy of rental flats
Car Parks
➢ Purchase/renewal of season parking tickets
➢ Purchase of short term parking tickets
➢ Purchase of parking coupons
Housing Maintenance
➢ Flat renovation guidelines
➢ Flat maintenance/repair issues
Housing Finance
➢ Payment of monthly mortgage loan instalments
➢ Lump sum and redemption of loan
➢ Rescheduling of loan payment period
➢ Payment of rent
➢ Upgrading cost
➢ Fire Insurance premiums
➢ Car park fines & other HDB payments
