SINGAPORE: When Ms Subashini, a relief security guard, heard that her Housing and Development Board (HDB) block in West Plains@Bukit Batok had a mix of units that included rental flats, she was not happy. The 41-year-old owns a three-room Build-to-Order (BTO) flat and having lived i
When Ms Subashini, a relief security guard, heard that her Housing and Development Board block in West Plains@Bukit Batok had a mix of units that included rental flats, she was not happy.
For Mr Ashvin Pillai, 25, who has been living in a two-room rental unit at Block 182A Woodlands Street 13 in Marsiling Greenview for two years, living in an integrated block can help to uplift lower-income families so that they do not feel"chucked aside". In an effort to promote more inclusive neighbourhoods, HDB has since 2014 introduced integrated blocks with rental and sold units in its BTO projects.
The government has since doubled down on its efforts by extending the integrated blocks to BTO projects under the Prime Location Public Housing model which are currently under construction in prime, central locations such as River Peaks I in RochorThe PLH model is a different public housing scheme that offers housing units in central locations with additional subsidies to maintain affordability that will be clawed back upon resale, and an extended minimum occupation period of 10 years.
TODAY looks at the experiences of those who are living in these integrated blocks and speaks to sociologists and Members of Parliament on what more can be done to encourage social mixing among people from different socio-economic groups in these developments.TODAY visited the three completed integrated housing blocks this past week and observed that each has different layouts and distribution of one-room and two-room rental flats.
For Mr Zailan, 36, who declined to give his full name, moving into integrated Block 182A in Marsiling Greenview has meant creating a safer and better environment for his two children, who are aged four and seven. Block 182A, especially with the clutter-free corridors that have made it much easier for him to get around."Outings could be organised with the community and neighbours could show appreciation to one another by sharing food," he said.
She said with a laugh: “Now that COVID-19 is over, we should try and have more outings like a heritage tour!” Her concerns about sharing a block with rental tenants stem from her seeing more people smoking and the state of cleanliness in the common areas. Another pressing concern of hers is the growing number of people she has seen going in and out of the flats on her floor and in her block.
As compared to Ms Lydia's previous stay in a public rental unit in Teck Whye where she had heard of two murders and a suicide, the move to Marsiling Greenview has made her feel like she is an"equal in society" because it does not feel like she is living in a rented home. Ms Lydia’s fiance, on the other hand, feels that a change in mindsets can help tenants and home owners to live harmoniously.
He added there had been incidents which led to the police being called, but stressed that these were"sporadic" compared to the ones in older rental flats. He added that he believed by helping people from different socio-economic groups to intermingle, it will provide the kind of social discourse that needs to be encouraged in a society facing social-economic divide.
He believes that the"social mixing" afforded by such blocks can be a crucial factor in uplifting someone out of poverty. However, Assoc Prof Tan added the positive features of new estates where integrated blocks are located would still appeal to some BTO applicants. Assoc Prof Vincent Chua from NUS' Department of Sociology and Anthropology believes that physical proximity may facilitate but not guarantee social proximity as there can still be a perception of different class relations between home owners and rental unit tenants.
"If it is deemed important to encourage cross-class interaction, then every new BTO project or town renewal programme should incorporate integrated blocks in its plans," said Assoc Prof Tan. He also hopes that the mixing of units will empower the community to help one another in times of need because even though residents in rental flats will need support, they are also excellent in helping to mobilise people, organise parties and spearhead community-based initiatives.
MP Gan Thiam Poh , who oversees Fernvale, shared with TODAY that he plans to organise activities and encourage interaction between home owners and rental unit occupants when the tenants move in.
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