A Look at Singapore HDB - The World's Best Model Of Public Housing

A Look at Singapore HDB - The World's Best Model Of Public Housing

The Singapore HDB (Housing and Development Board) is responsible for the closest thing to a utopian ideal yet achieved by any government-instituted method of reform; the unanimity is beyond what America is capable, while the concept of cheap renting-alternatives (and fiscal leverage by way of property ownership) is a Singapore reality that lower to middle class American can only dream about, drooling on their pillows all the while.

Like urban housing projects in expansive American ghettos, these housing developments came as a relief of sorts to post-Independence Singapore residents in 1960 when the act was passed, replacing a less effective Singapore Improvement Trust. Under the leadership of Lim Kim San, the aim was to eradicate the housing shortage dilemma in five years time by constructing roofs over the heads of as many poverty-stricken individuals as possible. And the ability to purchase (cheaply) such units as opposed to renting prevented any ideas of inferiority that could come with being strung along on an indefinite rental fee; autonomy for all was the idea, and the personal security by way of ownership meant overall economic stability as well.

While this initiative introduced the foundation of a good idea, it gained wider acceptance for its genuine motives to improve lives when a devastating fire proved to be only a slight hindrance for the HDB, as further housing developments covered the char and ashes like a giant security blanket. The ideology of the organization was very optimistic throughout, encouraging jingoism and physically preventing segregation that has always plagued other similar examples of housing developments. A quota system in ensured a diverse assortment of racial families and killed xenophobia at the source by forcing neighborly rapport. Also, classes were mixed as thoroughly as the races, creating a kaleidoscope of humans living for the same purpose, only in different veins.

To speak for the success of such a program, today over 80% of Singapore denizens live in the housing developments, and 95% actually own their property. Despite this, there are some specifications to be considered in order for one to be considered. They include: being a minimum age of 21 and a Singapore Resident/Citizen, having a family, household status, and an income in according a predefined standard.

Size in Singapore is defined by number of rooms and poverty in not defined by public construction (as American will have it, partially because crowding is not nearly so abundant). Even relatively wealthy types live in a sort of housing development, just in bigger ones that have higher values (but in no way devalue those of neighbors). Also, poverty is hardly existent there; everyone has a decent piece of the pie and rarely compares their living condition to that of the Jefferson.

With the dawn of the nineties, however, many had the opportunity to sell their regularly reconditioned housing units for a value greater than what they paid, an inversion of what American have come to expect from the real estate market lately. Who knows, maybe after a few years a deep proclivity for materialistic snobbishness will be thwarted by the realization that Singapore has figured out a system we could actually benefit from.

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