Source : AsiaOne News, Tue, Aug 21, 2007
Some 500,000 older and middle-age Housing Board estates and flats will soon be given major facelifts under two new upgrading programmes to be introduced by the HDB.
These are the Home Improvement Programme (HIP), which focuses on improvements within the flat, and the Neighbourhood Renewal Programme (NRP), which focuses on the precinct- and block-level improvements, as announced by the Prime Minister at the National Day Rally last Sunday.
Some 300,000 flats will be eligible for the HIP, and around 200,000 flats will qualify for the NRP, said the HDB in a statement today.
The two new programmes are introduced in response to the recommendations of the Forum on HDB Heartware, which has called for greater flexibility in the provision of flat improvement works and precinct facilities, optimisation of facilities across adjoining precincts, and greater consultation with residents.
The HIP, which comprises two components - the Optional Improvements and the Essential Improvements - aims to address common maintenance problems in older flats, such as spalling concrete and ceiling leaks.
Compared to the Main Upgrading Programme (MUP), it is a more targeted programme to address these problems in a systematic and comprehensive manner. In addition, it also offers lessees a host of other useful improvement items within the flat, said an HDB statement today.
Optional Improvements are items that lessees are likely to value, such as toilet upgrading, replacement of entrance door, grille gate and refuse hopper.
The Government will subsidise up to 95% of the cost of the Optional Improvements for Singapore Citizen lessees, depending on the size of the different types of flats. This is about half of the corresponding cost-sharing ratio under the MUP which is about 10% to 25%.
If the full range of the Optional Improvements is selected, the subsidised cost to a 3-room and Executive flat lessee is estimated to be about $550 and $1,375 respectively, which is substantially lower than the $2,490 and $6,225 under the MUP Standard Package.
Lessees can pay their share of the Optional Improvements in one lump sum using their CPF savings, cash, or a combination of both. They may also pay by monthly installments over five or ten years at the prevailing HDB concessionary interest rate.
If lessees wish to opt out of Optional Improvements, they will be allowed to do so with a corresponding reduction in co-payment, unlike the MUP. However, in the case where lessee wishes to opt out of toilet upgrading, the toilet must pass the water test for leaks. This is to prevent the leaking toilet from causing ceiling leaks for the unit below.
Essential Improvements are items that are deemed necessary for public health, safety or technical reasons, such as repair of spalling concrete and structural cracks, replacement of waste pipes and pipe sockets ("bamboo pole holders") or installation of laundry rack and upgrading of electrical supply.
These items will be compulsory for the lessees if the HIP is polled successfully. The Government will fully fund the items for Essential Improvements for Singapore Citizen lessees.
Similar to the MUP and LUP, lessees who are Permanent Residents will not be eligible to poll and thus would need to pay the full cost for the HIP. However, they can claim for reimbursement of the upgrading subsidy if they obtain Singapore citizenship within one year of the date of billing and the claim is made within one year of obtaining their citizenship.
The NRP, on the other hand, will be fully funded by the Government. Unlike the Interim Upgrading Programme Plus which is carried out on a single precinct basis, the NRP will be carried out on a larger scale, for two or more contiguous precincts.
This will ensure that facilities provided in adjoining precincts complement rather than duplicate one another. This approach will also allow resources to be pooled together to provide facilities that would otherwise be too costly to build.
These ideas were derived from participants during the discussions of the Forum on HDB Heartware. The participants have raised the need for greater local consultation on the design of the precinct and its facilities. Under the NRP, affected lessees will be invited to provide feedback and views on the facilities to be built.
In addition to the block/precinct upgrading items provided under the IUP Plus such as new letterboxes, covered linkways and playgrounds, residents will have the flexibility to suggest "non-standard" items for their neighbourhoods under the NRP, such as skating parks, soccer hardcourts and tennis courts.
Approval for these items will be subject to budget and maintenance considerations. This include block level items such as letterboxes, Residents' Corners, Senior Citizens' Corners, new tables and seats and repainting, and precinct-level items such as drop-off porch, covered linkways, playground, footpaths, fitness corner, jogging track, barbeque pits, skating park, soccer hardcourt, tennis court and block security/ surveillance system.
Flats that are eligible for the HIP and the NRP are flats built in 1986 or before and 1989 or before respectively, and have not undergone any of the programmes such as the MUP, IUP or IUP Plus.
Examples of flats and precincts eligible for these programmes are Ang Mo Kio, Bedok, Geylang for the older estates and Tampines, Yishun, Bukit Panjang for middle-aged estates. In total, around 300,000 flats will be eligible for the HIP, compared to around 100,000 flats previously eligible for the MUP and around 200,000 flats will be eligible for the NRP, compared to around 80,000 previously eligible for the IUP Plus.
In his National Day rally address on Sunday, PM Lee said that estates such as Sembawang, Chua Chu Kang and Sengkang, are not included in the upgrading programmes as they are too young "but their turn will come". In the future, they too will be be upgraded, provided Singapore continues to grow has the resources and the surpluses to continue the programmes.
PM Lee also assured Singaporeans that the Lift Upgrading Programme will continue to be carried out to provide lift access on every floor for all eligible blocks by 2014.
While the HIP will be piloted in Yishun and Tampines in which details of the pilot precincts will be announced over the next few months, HDB is still studying the list of neighbourhoods suitable for the NRP.
Both the HIP and NRP will proceed if at least 75% of the eligible lessees in the block and in the neighbourhood respectively indicate are in favour of it. Similar to the MUP and LUP, lessees who are Permanent Residents will not be eligible to poll.
In each of the HIP and NRP precincts, there will be a Working Committee to oversee the project, chaired by the Adviser to the GRO and comprising representatives from the residents, grassroots leaders, and officials from HDB and the Town Council.
The public can view the details of the new upgrading programmes and the rejuvenation proposals for Punggol and Dawson in a series of public exhibitions, the first of which will be held at the HDB Hub Mall from 1 - 8 Sep 07.
Sentosa Cove is inviting bids for three bungalow land parcels through an expression of interest. 
