public housing

WP Forum Speech: We can make public housing affordable again

This is the speech I delivered at the Workers’ Party public forum, Youthquake, on 15 May 2010.

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Youthquake speakers

The drastic increase in the cost of public housing over the past 20 years, and in particular the last two years, has caused a financial squeeze for many Singaporeans, particularly young couples who desire to own their own homes when they get married.

In just the last two years since 2007, the median price of resale flats has risen almost 44 per cent.[1] This has far outpaced inflation and wage increases. The resale flat cash-over-valuation (COV) has shot through the roof. In the fourth quarter of last year, the median COV was $24,000[2].

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Low Thia Khiang urges Govt to “seriously look” into housing options for homeless

How can we aspire to be a First World country with a world class public housing programme if we have homeless citizens camped out in public parks? The HDB’s proposition for those who are unable to purchase a HDB flat or to qualify for a HDB rental flat is to seek help for accommodation from family members. The HDB should know well that with the size of HDB flats, most families do not have a spare room to accommodate another distressed close family member’s family. The end result would be strained relationships between family members which could adversely impact the family structure as a basic unit of our society. Is the creation of more strained family relationships desirable?

This was a cut delivered in Parliament on 5 March 2010 by Workers’ Party Secretary-General Low Thia Khiang during the Committee of Supply debate, on the budget for the Ministry for National Development (MND).

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It was reported by the Straits Times that the number of homeless people has doubled. When I read the report, I was thinking whether this is more a social problem or a housing problem?

My own experience from Meet-the-People sessions is that it may be less a social problem and more of a housing problem. This is because while many of these cases of residents who lost their homes do involve dysfunctional families, quite a number are still financially viable and could afford to stay together as a family if they could afford the rental of a house. Many ended up without a home because of strict HDB rules on rental housing and obtaining HDB subsidised housing loans.

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Straits Times questions Ministry’s stand on LUP

Straits Times article was reflective of the overwhelming sense of indignation felt by Singaporeans that the PAP’s antics in those two wards had crossed the line of common decency.

Straits Times political desk journalist Sue-Ann Chia expressed in today’s papers what any rational-minded Singaporean knew to be right: That the elected opposition MPs should be the ones managing the Lift Upgrading Programme (LUP) in their ward, not the PAP candidates who lost in the last election.

In her article headlined “‘Adviser over MP’ raises many questions”, Ms Chia questioned the flawed reasoning of the press secretary to the National Development minister, who said last week that town councils should not be considered a local government. She deftly pointed out that over the past 12 years, Mr Lee Kuan Yew, Mr Goh Chok Tong and Mr Lee Hsien Loong had all stated in one way or another that the town council were designed for voters to choose their local representative, not just MPs to the national Parliament.

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Reducing cost of public housing: Some policy suggestions

The drastic increase in the cost of public housing over the past 30 years has caused a financial squeeze for many Singaporeans, particularly young couples who desire to own their own homes, and families forced to downgrade because of financial difficulties.

A three-room resale flat in the prime area of Tiong Bahru used to cost just $6,000 back in 1975. Now three room flats in that area are selling for as much as $322,000! This 5,266% price increase is simply mind-boggling! It has far outpaced inflation and increases in salaries over the past 30 years.

The cash over valuation (COV) that buyers are now having to pay is also shooting through the roof, and threatens to get even higher when the casino resorts open next year.

National development minister Mah Bow Tan claimed that one third of resale flats are “transacted at or below” COV. This claim is almost laughable if you ask any home buyer or real estate agent.

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Govt concedes argument with WP and Singaporeans

The opposition MPs in Hougang and Potong Pasir, who have been serving their residents for 18 years and 25 years respectively, have a far more distinguished track record of “concrete actions” serving their residents than the Johnny-come-lately PAP challengers, who are very good at plastering their faces all over the ward and claiming credit for things they never did.

Since the ill-advised announcement by the so-called PAP “grassroots advisers” of Hougang and Potong Pasir about the Lift Upgrading Programme (LUP) in the two opposition-held wards, the Minister for National Development has had to answer three letters to the Straits Times to justify their stand on the issue. Two of those letters were in response to Workers’ Party leaders Low Thia Khiang and Sylvia Lim, and one was to a public-spirited Singaporean, Muhammad Yusuf Osman.

In his latest letter (copied below), the spokesman of National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan wrote: “We do not expect the Workers’ Party to accept these basic facts, and we will agree to disagree.”

In saying this, the Minister is basically conceding that his argument holds no water, and he has no more points to add that could better justify the PAP’s politically-motivated stand.

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