SINGAPORE – Some 53,000 flats built on or before 1997 have been selected for the Housing Board’s Home Improvement Programme (HIP) to spruce up older housing estates, with structural improvements and also upgrades to bathrooms and entrances, among other things.
Announcing the latest round of the programme on July 28, HDB said it will also roll out a new method of repairing spalling concrete in toilets – a common bugbear in Singapore’s humid climate – following a successful trial that started in 2021.
The flats selected for the programme are located islandwide, including in Jurong West, Hougang, Woodlands and Pasir Ris, and the Government has allocated $742 million for the works, said HDB.
Since the launch of HIP in 2007 to address common maintenance issues such as spalling concrete and ceiling leaks, some 410,000 flats have been selected for upgrading, said Minister for National Development Desmond Lee as he gave updates about the programme at a community event in Jurong West on July 28.
Of these flats, an estimated 370,000 flats, or about 90 per cent of the selected flats, have since been upgraded for a total cost of $4 billion, said HDB.
Under HIP, flats are shortlisted for upgrades based on their age. A poll is then held among residents and works will proceed only if at least 75 per cent of Singaporeans living in the blocks vote in favour of the upgrading.
The programme has two main components – essential improvements and optional improvements.
The essential improvements, such as repair of spalling concrete or structural cracks, are meant to ensure the safety of older flats, and are fully paid for by the Government for Singapore citizen households.
Optional improvement, such as new entrance doors and gates, and upgrades to toilets and bathrooms, are subsidised by the Government up to 95 per cent, depending on flat type.
For example, one- to three-room HDB flat owners will co-pay $599.50, with the Government’s share being $11,390.50, or 95 per cent of the cost of the full optional improvements package.
Said Mr Lee, who is MP for West Coast GRC: “To keep our neighbourhoods thriving, our physical environment must keep pace.
“This is why the Government continually upgrades our older flats and estates so that Singaporeans can continue to enjoy a quality home and living environment.”
He added that almost 700 blocks will benefit from HIP this year.
Touching on the new corrosion resistant repair (CRR) method of repairing spalling concrete, Mr Lee said it would involve the application of an anti-corrosion coating to the toilet ceiling to protect the concrete structures against corrosive substances.
This helps to ensure that the repairs will last longer as spalling concrete is typically caused by wear and tear due to the corrosion of steel reinforcement bars embedded in the concrete floor and ceiling slabs.
The method was first used in a trial which began in November 2021, when it was used to repair the toilets of more than 300 flats that were undergoing HIP, and subsequent sample checks found no further spalling in the repaired toilets, HDB said.
Engineer Muhammad Nabilul Fikri Mohamed Hassan, 33, was among those whose flats were repaired using the new method during the trial. He said he was impressed with how well the work has held up in his three-room flat in Bedok North.
“It still looks brand new three years after the improvements to the flat, and there are no defects as far as I can see”, he added.
HDB added that the new method will be used to repair only spalling concrete in toilets as they are the area most prone to the problem due to the presence of moisture. The current localised repair method will continue to be used in other parts of flats, such as kitchens, living rooms and bedrooms.
While the new method is more costly and requires more time for application, Senior Minister of State for National Development Sim Ann said at another community event that its use would not delay works under the programme, which will still take up to 10 days for each unit.
Speaking after she visited the home of a family whose flat has undergone HIP, she said that the new method was made possible through HDB’s efforts in research and development, as well as through leveraging technological advancements.
Mr Lee also announced plans for a new Westwood Family Park in Nanyang in his West Coast GRC that will feature a sheltered stage, open badminton courts, a playground and an exercise corner.
Work on the park, which comes under the Estate Upgrading Programme (EUP) for private estates, is expected to start later this year, he added.
The EUP is meant to enhance the living environment of older private residential estates by upgrading community infrastructure, and to date, 74 estates have been upgraded under the programme, benefitting 54,000 households, he said.
This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.
