ST : Integrating the elderly in HDB living

Jan 13, 2010

Integrating the elderly in HDB living

By Rachel Chang

A RANGE of HDB housing options is available for the elderly, from studio apartments for those who prefer to live alone, to paired-unit flats that let them live separately but next door to their children and grandchildren.

At the same time, HDB estates are designed to be barrier-free and with social spaces for different generations to interact.

The overriding aim of these efforts is to allow the elderly to live an active and independent lifestyle while not isolating them, said Senior Minister of State for National Development Grace Fu.

Ms Fu was replying to Nominated MP Paulin Straughan, who had asked about the multi-generation living scheme at SkyTerrace@Dawson.

The scheme - which pairs a studio flat with an adjacent four- or five-room flat - has been oversubscribed, with 408 applications for 65 paired units.

Ms Fu said the HDB will study the response and consider public feedback to decide if the scheme should be extended to future projects.

She noted that it complements HDB's existing policies that encourage young couples to live near their parents.

Currently, those intending to live with or near their parents have double the chances in balloting for a new flat. And those buying a resale flat can apply for a higher Central Provident Fund grant of $40,000. The grant is otherwise $30,000.

SkyTerrace@Dawson will have facilities catering to both the young and the elderly, such as a children's playground, an elderly fitness corner and a taiji court.

However, some elderly folk prefer to live alone or in a town they are familiar with, noted Ms Fu. 'So even though the children may have grown (up) and moved away, they are not prepared to move to a new flat.'

So, both stand-alone studio apartments and studio apartments paired with flats have been built.

Associate Professor Straughan said she had heard 'from the ground' that young Singaporeans did not want to live in estates where studio apartments for the elderly predominated.

She did not elaborate on the reason, but past reports have suggested that such estates are sometimes targeted by thieves and con men.

Replying, Ms Fu said it was 'part and parcel' of living in an HDB estate to have neighbours from a wide range of backgrounds.

'We would not want to see an enclave of elderly,' she said.

'That, in a way, is the value of HDB estates - that we see this real integration of different segments of Singaporeans, whether age- or income-wise. I think Singaporeans have come to accept this as part of HDB estate living.'