New HDB Flats For Sale, Rent In West

Source : The Straits Times, August 27, 2008

Coming up in Bukit Panjang: 474 homes for sale, 300 for rent

HOMEBUYERS are being offered a further 474 new flats to choose from, with the launch of a new Housing Board project in Bukit Panjang yesterday.

Also, 300 units in two new rental blocks will be built nearby, for the first time under the same contract as the flats being offered for sale.

Bookings for Senja Green are now open. Models of the development can be viewed at the HDB Hub. -- PHOTO: HOUSING BOARD

HDB's latest move to ramp up the building of new flats and rental homes comes after demand soared for both types of housing in the past year.

The new project, called Senja Green, offers two- to four-room units - with prices ranging from $82,000 to $270,000 each.

The flats, under HDB's build-to-order scheme, will only be built if a certain level of demand is reached.

HDB's latest development brings the number of new flats launched for sale this year to 5,000. It plans to launch 8,400 units by the end of the year.

As for rental flats, HDB said it expects to increase its current stock from 42,800 to 49,860 by 2011.

The sharp hike in demand for rental flats was flagged by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in his recent National Day Rally speech as a worrying trend.

To prevent abuse of the rental scheme, National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan announced stricter rules last Saturday, effective immediately, which will see Singaporeans in desperate need of a home given priority for such flats.

Each month, about 131 tenants give up their flats and 382 people join the queue.

In June, there were 4,387 applicants on the waiting list. They wait, on average, 18 months for a one-room rental flat and nine months for a two-room flat.

HDB said yesterday that the rental flats were included in the same building contract 'for greater economies of scale, amid rising construction costs'.

The launch of Senja Green follows another HDB project, Segar Meadows, in Bukit Panjang town, which was launched last November.

As at 5pm yesterday, 177 applications had been lodged for the new units.

Senja Green is located in Woodlands Road and is bounded by Senja Way and Senja Road. The rental blocks are separate from Senja Green but will also sit on Woodlands Road.

The new flats are close to the Ten Mile Junction shopping mall and Senja LRT Station as well as West View Primary School and West Spring Secondary School.

Residents can also look forward to the Downtown Line 2 in Bukit Panjang, which will be ready in about 2015, HDB said.

The 96 two-room flats available at Senja Green will come with a floor area of 47 sq m each. They will be priced between $82,000 and $106,000 each.

The 94 three-room flats will have a floor area of 67 sq m each and cost $138,000 to $170,000. There are also 284 four-room flats of 93 sq m in size, which will go for $211,000 to $270,000 each.

Buyers can opt for ceramic floor tiles and internal timber doors to be installed in their flats, at an additional cost.

Interested buyers can apply online at HDB's website www.hdb.gov.sg from now until Sept 8.

The selection exercise will start from November. Models of the estates are on display at the HDB Hub Habitat Forum in Toa Payoh until the closing date.