53,000 older HDB flats selected for upgrading under Home Improvement Programme

SINGAPORE – Some 53,000 flats built on or before 1997 have been selected for the Housing Board’s Home Improvement Program (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 program 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 program 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 program at a community event in Jurong West on July 28.

Of these flats, an estimated 370,000 flats, or approximately 90 per cent of the selected flats, have since been upgraded for a total cost of $4 billion, said HDB.

Under the HIP, flats are shortlisted for upgrades based on their age. A poll is then held among residents and works will only proceed if at least 75 per cent of Singaporeans living in the blocks vote in favor of the upgrading.

The program 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 subsidized 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% of the cost of the full optional improvements package.

Said Mr Lee, who is MP for West Coast GRC: “To keep our neighborhoods 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.