He is the author of Public Subsidy/Private Accumulation: The Political Economy Of Singapore’s Public Housing.
SINGAPORE – Housing may be one of the most clamorous issues in Singapore, but despite recurring calls for the Government to curb runaway prices for young couples buying their first flat, it has arguably not intervened aggressively enough.
Frustrations over housing have cost the People’s Action Party votes in the past, from the defeat at the 1981 Anson by-election to the losses it sustained in the 2011 General Election, when skyrocketing flat prices were attributed to an influx of new residents, he says. “It depends on whether the opposition parties could make it an issue, but the Government has done a lot to reduce waiting time since Covid-19 and there have been cooling measures.”
The PhD graduate from York University in Toronto, Canada, joined the Department of Sociology at NUS in 1985, and has been venerated by his students for his acuity of thought and facility of expression. There is even a Facebook fan page dedicated to him, with a tongue-in-cheek name: “If I Weren’t Christian, Chua Beng Huat Would Be My God”.
In addition, 5 to 6 per cent of the population cannot afford to own homes. They are subjected to strict government rental controls in small, overcrowded flats, due to the belief that this will encourage renters to work towards owning their own place, he adds. For older home owners, a shorter time left on their 99-year lease and ageing amenities result in a devaluing of their retirement savings. There is a time element to this, with flats bought around the 1970s drawing closer to the end of their 99-year-lease in 2069 and the 2070s.
Philippines Latest News, Philippines Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
HDB resale prices rose 2.1% in Q2 amid strong demand and supply constraintsHDB confirmed it is on track to launch 100,000 BTO flats between 2021 and 2025
Read more »
More people with disabilities will be allowed to have assistance dogs in HDB flatsSingapore will allow more people to have assistance dogs in public housing flats. Those with physical disabilities, are deaf, or hard of hearing will be allowed to have such dogs later this year. Currently, there are only nine assistance dogs in Singapore and they all support blind people.
Read more »
HDB’s new ‘white flats’: How to make open-concept living work for youOpen layouts offer flexibility and creativity to configure homes to suit different needs.
Read more »
HDB launches over 7,000 flats for sale, including first BTO project in TengahSINGAPORE - The Housing Board launched 7,214 flats for sale on Tuesday (Nov 13) under the Build-to-Order (BTO) and Sale of Balance Flats (SBF) exercise for November.
Read more »
HDB offers almost 7,000 BTO flats in June sales launchApplication is open for 6,938 Build-To-Order (BTO) flats, according to the Housing Board in an announcement on June 19. From now to 11.59pm on June 26, applicants with a valid HDB Flat Eligibility can submit their application on the
Read more »
HDB launches 6,938 BTO flats, raises subsidies for three projects in prime areasThe new homes are in Jurong East, Kallang/Whampoa, Queenstown, Tampines, Woodlands and Yishun.
Read more »