Latest news with #BTOflats
Malay Mail
a day ago
- Business
- Malay Mail
Earlier keys for singles? Singapore reviews public housing age limit and income cap in bid to meet demand
SINGAPORE, Aug 11 — Singapore is considering lowering the minimum age for singles to buy Build-to-Order (BTO) flats and raising income limits for applicants, National Development Minister Chee Hong Tat said. As reported by Singapore's CNA, the minister noted that any changes will depend on housing supply and will be announced at an 'appropriate time'. Chee said demand for homes remains strong, fuelled partly by more young people wanting to own property. The government aims to expand eligibility for BTO flats to include families and married couples above the current S$14,000 (RM46,158) household income cap, as well as singles under the present age limit of 35. 'We are looking at whether we can reduce the age for singles to be eligible, so that singles can come in and buy BTO flats at an earlier age,' Chee was quoted as saying. To meet demand, the Housing and Development Board (HDB) has accelerated construction after clearing Covid-19 delays. It was reported that from 2021 to 2025, the Housing and Development Board (HDB) launched about 102,300 flats, exceeding its 100,000 target. Between 2025 and 2027, about 55,000 BTO flats will be launched, 10 per cent more than planned, in areas including Mount Pleasant, Woodlands North Coast, Sembawang North and the former Keppel Club site. This year, 4,500 flats with waiting times of under three years will be offered. Private housing supply will also increase, with over 25,000 units to be launched from 2025 to 2027 via the Government Land Sales programme, adding to 45,000 units already in the pipeline for completion by 2030.
CNA
16-07-2025
- Business
- CNA
BTO flats in Clementi, Bukit Panjang with shorter waiting times to go on sale in July
SINGAPORE: About 1,400 flats in Clementi and Bukit Panjang with waiting times of less than three years will be launched in the July sales exercise, Minister for National Development Chee Hong Tat announced on Wednesday (Jul 16). They are part of about 5,500 Build-to-Order (BTO) flats that will be offered in the upcoming sales exercise, he said in a Facebook post. Clementi Emerald is a 753-unit development with a waiting time of 34 months – or two years and 10 months. Located next to the redeveloped Clementi Polyclinic along with Clementi Primary School and Clementi Town Secondary School, it will be a short walk away from Clementi MRT station. Amenities nearby will include an eating house, a minimart and a preschool, the Housing and Development Board (HDB) stated on its website. The 643-unit Bangkit Breeze in Bukit Panjang has a waiting time of 35 months – or two years and 11 months. Located next to Beacon Primary School, it will be close to Bangkit LRT station. There will be amenities such as an eating house, a minimart and a preschool in the area. Earlier this month, HDB announced that 775 flats in a new Sembawang North housing estate would be launched in July, with a range of two-room Flexi, five-room and 3Gen flats. These flats will have a waiting time of around three years. Apart from the sales launch of the BTO flats, HDB will also offer more than 4,600 housing units under its Sale of Balance Flats (SBF) exercise. These exceed the previously committed 3,000 flats. "With this, we will have launched over 10,000 SBF units this year, including those offered in February 2025." "These are part of our continued efforts to provide diverse options to meet the range of housing needs and financial budgets of different home buyers, including those who require a flat more urgently," Mr Chee added.
Independent Singapore
13-07-2025
- General
- Independent Singapore
Maids forced to sleep in bomb shelters: Singaporean woman asks, 'Why not employers try to sleep in one for themselves first?'
SINGAPORE: In Singapore, where real estate is precious and space is tighter than your grab driver's parking spot on a Saturday night, families are turning to creative solutions. Unfortunately, not all of them are kind. The 'maid room' — a term now synonymous with bomb shelters and utility rooms in many Build-to-Order (BTO) flats and condos. Once built for emergencies, these small, windowless boxes are increasingly being rebranded as living quarters for foreign domestic workers (FDWs). But are we disguising practicality as progress? Or simply camouflaging discomfort? Photo: YT screengrab/@ricemediaco RICE Media hit the streets to find out, and what they uncovered was a complex mix of justification, concern, and quiet suffering. When being pragmatic becomes problematic 'I think this is very inhumane to let the maid sit in the bomb shelter. I don't think it will have proper ventilation,' said one woman who was interviewed. And she's not alone in thinking that a room built to withstand explosions might not be the coziest space to catch some shut-eye. But not everyone sees it that way. Photo: YT screengrab/@ricemediaco 'I think using the bomb shelter or laundry room as a maid's room is okay because some people just do not have an extra room to be able to help give to the helper,' said one resident, pointing out the harsh reality of space constraints in Singaporean homes. One employer admitted: 'I have a live-in helper with me. She stays in the utility room by herself… to be pragmatic, is there an alternative?' Photo: YT screengrab/@ricemediaco That seems to be the prevailing sentiment — pragmatism over perfection. Space-saving or soul-crushing? To understand how livable these spaces truly are, RICE Media spoke to the helpers themselves. And let's just say, 'cozy' isn't exactly the word they'd use. 'My employer said, 'You cannot touch the room, you cannot go inside because you cannot stay inside the bomb shelter for so long,'' shared one domestic worker, visibly concerned. Another helper said bluntly, 'It's not okay to sleep in the bomb shelter. I want my room to be very comfortable for rest, so that I can do my work properly the next day,' and summed it up with: 'We respect you, and you can also respect us.' Photo: YT screengrab/@ricemediaco The recurring theme? Rest is not a luxury; it's a requirement for good work. Yet many helpers report cramped quarters, lack of privacy, and even safety issues. Store rooms, not storm rooms Some employers take a more conscientious approach, as the earlier one explained how when he had two helpers and only one utility room, he offered the larger bedroom, but surprisingly, both helpers wanted the smaller one, likely out of shyness. 'I think minimally, employers must provide a wall fan… and the door has to be opened. If privacy is an issue, maybe you can have a small curtain or cloth covering,' he said. Photo: YT screengrab/@ricemediaco And others go further. 'If you have the money to hire a helper, you should be able to provide the helper with the right amenities and the right place to stay,' said another woman, who shared she had friends who turned their spare storeroom into a bedroom by clearing it out for their helpers. Photo: YT screengrab/@ricemediaco It's also a sentiment echoed by the interviewed resident, who described horror stories of helpers sleeping in bomb shelters stacked with boxes, which are uncomfortable and dangerously unsafe. 'In newer estates like Sengkang, these rooms are two by one meters at most. Photo: YT screengrab/@ricemediaco That's the biggest it gets. Other places just get smaller and smaller.' A place to sleep or a place to rest? One domestic helper pointed out the stress of having no personal space at all: 'I have a friend who sleeps in the living room… her employer is still in the living room, so she cannot sleep early. So she always sleeps late.' Another stressed the importance of simple dignity: 'Privacy is very important…' Photo: YT screengrab/@ricemediaco A good night's sleep should not be a workplace perk — it should be a basic right. 'We're not asking for a big room. We're asking for it to be comfortable enough so we can rest after work,' she added. Humanity over hierarchy Despite the grim stories, not all employers treat their helpers as invisible labour. 'I told my helper that as long as she finishes her job, she can do whatever she wants,' the employer shared. 'We can't help them reunite with their family often. But if you let them have access to the internet, they might feel happier… so treat them like a normal human being, treat them like a fellow colleague or a younger brother or sister.' Photo: YT screengrab/@ricemediaco The earlier resident who was interviewed also urged the community to shed its bias. 'Sometimes when I hang out with my friends, I see a bunch of helpers during the weekends. And there are comments — 'Oh, it's them again,' or 'They're making a ruckus.' Just let them live. They're coming here to help our economy. They have no ill intent at all. Try to integrate them into our community,' he advised. The uncomfortable truth The growing rebranding of bomb shelters as 'maid rooms' might look like an architectural convenience. But at its core lies a tough question: are we offering our helpers a place to live, or merely a place to stay? Many Singaporeans would never consider placing a family member in a bomb shelter. Yet for some, it's deemed acceptable for the person who cooks their meals, cares for their children, and supports their elderly parents. Photo: YT screengrab/@ricemediaco If foreign domestic helpers are expected to treat their employers' families like their own, shouldn't they be treated like part of the household too? As the woman who was interviewed above put it: 'I'll tell people who ask helpers to sleep in the bomb shelter — why not they try for themselves first? If they can survive, then it's okay.' Check out the RICE Media 's episode Singapore, Unfiltered video below to witness the full street interview while exploring their perspectives even more in depth: Read related: Domestic helpers in Singapore: We left our own children behind to raise yours, but you treat us like second-class citizens, without even basic dignity
