Good Practices and Innovations in Public Governance 2003-2011

2008 Category 1: Singapore
has implemented an Estate Renewal Strategy to bring older HDB estates to the
standards of newer ones. This programme improves and upgrades the physical conditions
and facilities of ageing estates and flats. The programme is heavily subsidized
by the government, with citizen flat owners co-paying only a small amount
of the cost.
Lessons Learned
There are at least a few key lessons to be drawn from Singapore’s home ownership
scheme hereby summarized:
• Importance of Home Ownership: When HDB was formed in 1960, the original
intention was to build flats for low-cost rental housing. However, soon
after, the government decided to help the people to own homes. By owning
their flats, HDB residents are committed to take care of their property and
housing environment. This in turn helps to preserve their property asset value.
More importantly, owning a home has given the vast majority of Singaporeans
a tangible stake in the country, something to protect and defend. The home
ownership scheme has therefore contributed significantly to their nationbuilding
efforts;
• Focus on Building Communities: There are many examples around the
world today of racial tensions and conflicts between different ethnic groups
and religions. These usually originate from socially or racially segregated
ghettos and slums of their cities. Once racial enclaves are formed, people of
different races do not have opportunities to interact with each other, resulting
in mistrust with one another and misunderstandings flaring up into altercations
easily.
In a multi-racial society like Singapore, the government implemented a policy to
integrate different races and income groups in their HDB estates. Through the
design of public housing and policies e.g., Ethnic Integration Policy, HDB has
been able to maintain racial harmony and social cohesion, despite the diversity of
the population. This has been critical to Singapore’s national development; and
• Forward-looking & Responsive Housing Policies: Public housing policies
should be forward-looking to meet the ever changing needs of the population.
In planning HDB towns, HDB took a long-term and comprehensive planning
approach, working closely with other public agencies to ensure that all necessary
infrastructure and facilities are in place. The housing policies and programmes
are formulated and regularly reviewed and refined to ensure that they
move with the times even as the population and its expectations change, and
that both immediate and long-term housing objectives, and the needs and aspirations
of Singaporeans are met.
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