Questions/Answers

Over the last 58 years, HDB has built more than 1 million flats and developed 23 towns and 3 estates, housing over 80% of Singapore's resident population, with more than 90% of these resident households owning their homes. With the growing greying population (13.7% in 2018 to forecast of 27% in 2030) and longer life expectancy, HDB has geared up provisions for the elderly to ensure that they could age-in-place and have a fulfilling retirement. Creating elderly-friendly environment and homes enable our elderly to live independently. Various housing options are available for different elderly e.g. single, living with children, require assisted living, with insufficient income for their retirement etc. They can buy a 2-Room Flexi-flat with varying lease tenure. For multi-generation living, we offer the 3Gen Flat, consisting 4 bedrooms, including 2 master bedrooms with en-suites. These paired units have inter-connecting doors, allowing mutual care, yet maintaining privacy. Enhancement for Active Seniors (EASE) was introduced with grab bars and ramps to improve the safety for elderly. Lease Buyback Scheme (LBS) allows elderly to unlock part of their housing equity while still living in their homes. The elderly can also monetise by selling larger flats and downsizing to a smaller one.

Supporting social inclusiveness for elderly, HDB has taken integrated approaches, with strong collaboration with other agencies and citizens. Kampung Admiralty is one key example of the collective effort by HDB, together with 6 government agencies, to create an integrated development supported by a myriad of facilities. This creates opportunities for the young and old to interact and bond. Understanding that safety at home is paramount, HDB collaborated with various agencies and occupational therapists from Khoo Teck Puat Hospital to implement the EASE programme, where improvement items like grab bars, ramps and slip-resistant treatment were installed in pilot towns before roll-out.

SDG Goal 11 – Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable HDB flats are designed for residents to adapt as they age-in-place. Features within the flat include wider internal corridors for barrier-free accessibility, easy-to-reach switches. At block level, features like lift access at every level, lift buttons with contrasting colours, Braille markings are provided. Lift Upgrading Programme was also provided for older blocks that did not have direct lift access. Features in the precinct include seating, ramps to negotiate level difference and community spaces accessible by wheel-chair users. Social communal facilities like Senior Activity Centres, which foster social integration, are usually co-located within HDB developments to serve residents, bringing them together.

HDB’s home ownership programme is a key pillar of nation-building. Our housing policies are inclusive and cater to all citizens. HDB helps citizens to buy their first 99-year leasehold flat by providing a generous housing subsidy and loan. Mutual care and support are important. Measures like the Married Child Priority Scheme, Multi-Generation Priority Scheme, Proximity Housing Grant, and 3Gen flats help them to live with/near their parents. The elderly can enjoy the convenience of having a flat with elder-friendly features, when they buy a 2-room Flexi-flat on short lease. Monetisation options like the Lease Buyback Scheme and renting out rooms/ flat allow them to unlock housing equity to supplement their retirement income. To build active and cohesive communities, we provide common facilities like parks, 3-generation fitness, community plazas for residents, both young and elderly to mingle and bond. This approach of bringing relevant agencies to work together, has allowed HDB to create a total living environment for residents, caring for them from ‘cradle to grave’.

HDB innovates in housing options. The 2-room Flexi Scheme caters to diverse needs. Elderly can buy a 2-room Flexi flat with varying lease tenure. Helping elderly age-in-place, LBS is an innovative method to unlock part of their housing equity, while living in their homes. Kampung Admiralty is a first-of-its-kind integrated public housing development that showcases how seniors can live actively in HDB towns. EASE allows elderly to apply for improvements to their home any time they need! HDB is piloting Smart Elderly Monitoring and Alert System in homes to detect senior’s abnormal activities and alert their next-of-kin for immediate response.

Kampung Admiralty - The innovative integration of public housing for seniors with eldercare, childcare, healthcare facilities, with Universal Design features and integrated programming, has successfully created an inclusive and well-connected community hub. Lease Buyback Scheme is an original policy innovation where owners can sell part of the remaining lease of their flat back to HDB and receive a steady stream of income in their retirement years, while still living in their same home. EASE is yet another original innovation that enhances the safety of seniors living in HDB flats with the installation of elderly-friendly fittings.

HDB has been sharing at international platforms eg Smart City Expo World Congress. We have hosted distinguished international visitors and received heartening words e.g. Vice President, Republic of Malawi said, “There are lots of insights and massive opportunity to replicate the initiative in Malawi”. Deputy President, South Africa has appreciated HDB’s work for Singapore, “You can teach us South Africans a lot”. CEO of the World Bank has also recently complimented HDB for delivering affordable public housing and was impressed when she visited a studio apartment and facilities for the elderly and how it could be replicated to other countries.

The public housing programme is funded through Government loans and grants. These loans enable HDB to implement financing schemes for buyers of HDB flats and for owners of upgraded flats; and to finance a portion of HDB’s development programmes and operational requirements. Government grants cover HDB’s annual deficit and safeguard the reserves of the past government. Other vulnerable groups like the low income households or elderly with no family support who cannot afford home ownership flats have access to subsidised rental flats while we work with agencies like Social Services Office and Family Service Centres to assist them holistically.

Ensuring endearing homes for the silver generation is what we do all these decades. Taking into consideration the changing social, economic and environmental landscape, our programmes for the elderly have been constantly reviewed to ensure they remain relevant. For instance, the EASE programme was over time, extended to more elderly households and with more improvement items. Another example is the 2-room Flexi Scheme, which is an adaptation of earlier schemes. The previous 2-room flat scheme and Studio Apartment (SA) scheme were merged to incorporate additional features that prioritise between the needs of different buyers and allow the choice of lease tenures and fittings. The suite of initiatives is sustainable as HDB continues to engage various stakeholders, incorporating suggestions to improve the programmes, so that they will always be relevant and serve the true needs of our seniors, such as elderly monitoring systems mentioned above. HDB and the Ministry of Health are studying to develop the Assisted Living concept. This is a new housing typology that integrates home and care, enabling seniors to age-in-place, with social interaction and fostering a sense of community and mutual support.

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The whole suite of initiatives to bring about endearing homes for our silver generation has been evaluated internally and externally. Internally, the outcome of the initiatives is monitored via key performance indicators and carrying out post-implementation surveys, Customer Satisfaction Survey (CES), Sample Household Surveys (SHS) and other studies. Externally, initiatives are nominated for suitable awards (national and international) to obtain evaluation and affirmation. Awards like Universal Design Mark recognise projects where Universal Design is implemented allowing spaces to be used to the greatest extent by all. Awards application also allows us to benchmark with best practices and learn from them.

Since EASE was introduced in Jul 2012, close to 163,000 households have applied for it as at end Mar 2018. This illustrates strong support. An increasing “Number of EASE referral agencies” demonstrates strong partnership with hospitals and welfare organisations to care for the elderly. Our elderly residents have indicated in Sample Household Surveys that they prefer to continue living in the same flat. Noting their preferences, we have schemes to facilitate ageing-in-place. HDB was conferred the President’s Design Award for 2 projects for the use of innovative design that encourages families to live in close proximity with their elderly parents.

HDB has been conferred the pinnacle Singapore Quality Award with Special Commendation (SQA SC). We are one of 2 organisations to have won the award for a second time. The award recognises organisations that have demonstrated outstanding management capabilities, delivered superior performance and global leadership in key business areas. This is an affirmation of HDB’s work in fulfilling the national vision to build a distinctive global city and an endearing home for all Singaporeans. At the international front, amongst other awards, HDB was also conferred awards recognising our developments like Kampung Admiralty at the World Architecture Festival 2016.

HDB engaged external stakeholders actively to achieve desired outcome of “Many stakeholders, one agenda”. This was done through inter-agency committees and forums with industry. Another example is EASE where HDB worked with occupational therapists. The Proximity Housing Grant was also a result of a series of Housing Conversations on “Closer Families, Stronger Ties” with Singaporeans at different life stages. HDB worked with many agencies to plan and safeguard the provision of elderly facilities within our towns eg Senior Care Centre, Senior Activity Centre, Active Ageing Hub. To encourage inter-generational bonding, we explored co-location of Senior Care with Child Care Centres within HDB precincts. HDB also engaged schools, elderly and agencies like Silver Generation Office and Social Services Office in programmes like Heartland Ambassador Programme. HDB has discerned trends like a rise in elderly living alone, who might have limited financial and family support. Hence, their views were gathered via studies on their housing preferences and Post-Implementation Review of the LBS and 2-room Flexi Scheme. The elderly was also involved directly in focus group discussions where their views were gathered e.g. their perception towards the use of induction cookers at home etc.

HDB plays a significant role in fulfilling the national vision to build a distinctive global city and an endearing home for all Singaporeans. We plan towns comprehensively and collaborate with agencies to build a liveable and inclusive city. We need to be forward-looking and plan ahead. It is key to engage stakeholders early, including the elderly, as shown in Kampung Admiralty. We learnt the importance to recognise different citizen’s life cycle needs and curate targeted holistic interventions e.g. housing with healthcare and retirement adequacy. HDB also innovates continually in products and services for elderly.