HDB correspondence on public newsletters

jq75

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jq75 said:

JAN 29, 2004
New flats in old estates a hit with walk-ins
Most are surplus units built under Sers and were not taken up

THE flats are 'leftovers' from previous balloting exercises, but tell that to the 5,000 people who thronged the Housing Board's latest walk-in selection exercise for mature estates.

Eager to get their hands on the 1,726 four-room, five-room and executive flats on sale, as many as 3,800 potential buyers went down to the HDB's office in Toa Payoh on Tuesday, the first day of the exercise.

Some even camped overnight, determined to get their hands on flats in mature estates such as Bukit Merah, Queenstown and Bedok.

By 5pm yesterday, more than 200 units had been snapped up, with older estates such as Bukit Batok, Queenstown and Ang Mo Kio proving to be a hit.

Priced between $102,000 and $462,000 each, the bulk of the flats are surplus units built under the Selective En-bloc Redevelopment Scheme (Sers), in which old flats torn down are replaced with new ones.

Many were not taken up in the balloting exercises in 2002 and June last year.

The HDB yesterday described the response so far as 'good'.

Its spokesman said: 'Many flat applicants prefer these flats which are either near their parents' place, or located in areas with good facilities and transport networks and are near the city centre.'

The HDB's latest fourth-quarter flat valuation estimates also point to the trend of a growing preference for new flats in mature estates.

Flats in Queenstown and Bukit Merah, for instance, have some of the highest valuations around, matching or even surpassing those of long-time favourites such as those in Bishan and Marine Parade.

Being able to get a flat on the spot is also an added draw, as opposed to having to wait three months or more under a balloting exercise.

'Under balloting, flats on offer...are likely to be oversubscribed due to the popularity of locations,' said the HDB.

'Walk-in selection is more suitable in instances where there are many flats available or where they have remained unselected after being offered to the public applicants.'

For soon-to-be married couple James Lim, 31, and Mok Ai Ling, 27, the appeal of a hassle-free application for a flat in a good location was reason enough for them to opt for the walk-in selection.

'The waiting time is shorter for a mature estate because we can get the keys easily,' said Mr Lim.
 

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Skyscrapers designed for historic Duxton Plain site
I REFER to the letter, 'Move skyscrapers to Outram site instead' (ST, Jan 19), by Mr Tan Poay Lim in which he suggested relocating the proposed Duxton Plain flats to the vacant site next to the Outram Park MRT station to improve demand for the flats.

The redevelopment of Duxton Plain is part of HDB's strategy to rejuvenate an older housing estate and better optimise land use.

It allows for the provision of more public housing within the Central area and will enable younger families to move into the estate.

As Blocks 1 and 2 Cantonment Road are the first public housing blocks built in the Tanjong Pagar area, an architectural competition was held to tap new ideas for high-rise, high-density living, to commemorate the historical significance of the site.

The winning design of the 50-storey blocks was conceptualised with this intention in mind.

It may therefore be inappropriate to relocate them to another site.

TAY BOON SUN
Senior Public Relations Officer
For Director (Corporate Development)
Housing and Development Board
 

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Many still pantang about numbers
'Lucky' house numbers can add up to more cash when you buy or sell

By Leong Pik Yin and Nicola Cheong

ONE HDB flat at Bukit Panjang Ring Road has sat empty since it was built about six years ago. Its unit number: 44.

Over in the Thomson area, a $1.1-million condominium unit was rejected by a potential buyer who insisted on a hefty $100,000 discount. Its unit number: 14.

Stories like these are common. The number 'four' sounds like the Cantonese word 'die' and is thought to bring bad luck.

A senior sales director of ERA Realty, Mr Sam Oei, said 5 to 10 per cent of his clients are particular about numbers.

Even those who are not superstitious will think twice about buying a house with an 'unlucky' number, as it may be harder to find buyers if they want to sell it later.

Dennis Wee Properties director Chris Koh said HDB flats with unlucky numbers may fetch $5,000 to $10,000 less than similar units, while those with lucky numbers may fetch an extra $5,000 to $10,000.

The difference is even greater for private property: Up to $15,000 for condominiums, and as much as $30,000 for landed homes.

RealStar Property chief executive William Wong said his company recently sold an executive flat in Hougang for $438,000, when similar units were going for $410,000. The reason: The unit number is 188, which means 'sure to prosper' in Cantonese.

That said, different numbers work for different people.

ERA Realty president Jack Chua said: 'While it is common to say that eight is auspicious and four is not, it is not always so. It depends on what the individual thinks works for him.'

To avoid being stuck with unsold units, property experts said developers try to assign less popular numbers to more attractive units, such as those facing the morning sun. They do the opposite with units in less sought-after locations, giving them auspicious numbers to enhance their appeal.

And if you are not superstitious, these so-called 'unlucky' homes may in fact be good buys, said Mr Koh of Dennis Wee Properties. 'You can bargain all you want as the owner may not get many offers.'

Those living in homes with 'inauspicious' numbers are unfazed.

Housewife Alice Tan, 39, who has lived at 14, Sunrise Avenue, for eight years, said she likes it so much that if given a second chance, she would still choose to live in the same house.

'Just because someone lives in a house with a lucky number doesn't mean he'll have more luck,' she said.

Businessman Lim Beng Huat, 40, who bought a flat six years ago in Bedok with the unit number 18, knows it too well.

He said: 'I thought this number would bring me good fortune. But my catering business is not doing too well. And I've yet to win any lottery!'
 

sunsetbay

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Fm TODAY, 03 Feb 2004

First-timer's CPF grant should apply

HDB should consider extending scheme to those first-timers opting for resale executive condo

The first batch of executive condos (ECs) launched in 1996 becomes eligible for resale this year.

Potential sellers of Eastvale in Pasir Ris and Westmere in Jurong East may emerge in the resale market within the next few months.

We are realtors and the news of the resale is good news to some of our clients ?in particular, one married couple who has been waiting for years for a resale EC in their desired location.

They are Singaporean first-time buyers who have not owned any Housing and Development Board (HDB) flat or EC unit before.

Logically, they should be eligible for the CPF grant given usually to first-timers who purchase an HDB resale flat or a brand new EC unit.

However, interestingly, we have been told by the HDB's customer service department that there is no provision of the grant at all for first-timers opting for a resale EC unit. When we asked for the rationale, we got no clear answer.

A five-year-old EC unit up for resale is still under the jurisdiction of the HDB. It is bound by the same HDB rules and regulations that apply to a resale flat.

Why then, should the first-timer's CPF grant not apply? The HDB should consider extending the grant scheme to this potential group of first-time buyers.

Roy Chang Say Won and Henry Lim Li Shun
 

jq75

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there's an article in Streats today, warning pple abt parking in multi storey car parks...
esp owners of vehicles like van and SUV, from damaging their vehicles when they reverse park...

too bad no online copy...:)
 

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Another building contractor goes into the red

Upgrading contractor to meet creditors
HDB says Telok Blangah work 83% done
By Vivi Zainol

THE new year has brought little relief to contractors who continue to be plagued with financial problems.

The latest victim is Hi-Tek Construction, the main contractor for an upgrading project in Telok Blangah Crescent.

It is meeting its creditors over delayed payments on Feb 23, according to an advertisement in last Saturday's issue of The Straits Times.

It is not clear how many creditors there are and how much debt is involved because attempts to contact Hi-Tek and its scheme manager, Bob Low & Co, were unsuccessful.

However, sources said yesterday that the main contractor has yet to make payment to a number of sub-contractors from its various projects, with the total debt amounting to several hundred thousand dollars.

One sub-contractor who declined to be named said he is owed less than $100,000. He was promised payment last December but it did not come through.

'This is not the first time we've been hit. Even though the main contractors are ordered by the court to pay, they still don't pay,' he said.

Others said they did not intend to send their workers back to the worksite until they were paid.

But residents need not worry.

Responding to queries, the Housing Board said that upgrading works at Blocks 1, 3, 4, 5 and 6 of Telok Blangah Crescent were progressing well, with 83 per cent of the work completed.

Work on two blocks and internal renovations on the remaining blocks have been completed. About 95 per cent of the multi-storey carpark has also been done.

All that is left, said the board, are the playgrounds and linkways.

'We are monitoring the progress of the contractor closely, and there is no need to call in another contractor at this stage,' it said.

For now, the indications are that work will be completed on schedule in the second quarter of this year.

The construction industry was put in the spotlight last year over a spate of delayed government projects, most notably the Housing Board upgrading works at Marine Terrace, owing to cash-strapped contractors going bust.

Yesterday, the HDB said it paid its main contractors every month 'based on the works completed', to help them maintain healthy cash flows.

It is not clear what kind of cash-flow problems Hi-Tek is facing, but a check with the Registry of Companies and Businesses showed that sales fell by more than half from 2001 to 2002. Corresponding profit figures were not available.

Whatever the financial woes, residents at Telok Blangah remain relatively oblivious to them, given that most of the upgrading work has already been completed.

Said retiree S. Kannan, 76, who has been waiting for more than two years for the upgrading to be done: 'How long we wait doesn't matter. As long as the result is nice to look at.'
 

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HDB to do more upgrading but will cut back spending on frills

SINGAPORE: Even though ministry budgets are going to be tight this year, the Government said that it's determined to do as much upgrading of HDB estates as possible.

"So it is not correct for people to say that upgrading is no longer necessary. I totally disagree with that.

"In fact I would say we should do more upgrading, have more and put more, within the budgets that we are given, within the constraints of the budget we have, we should do as much upgrading as we can," said National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan.

But Mr Mah added, HDB will cut back spending on frills like minor repairs on older flats.

"HDB has been doing goodwill repairs from time to time on ceiling leaks, spalling concrete and so on. Things which residents have been complaining about, but we cannot do this indefinitely, there's a limit to what we can do in this area. So I have asked HDB to educate residents the need to keep their flat in good condition," he said. - CNA
 

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Town council will act on upgrading suggestions

FEB 6, 2004
Town council will act on upgrading suggestions
WE REFER to the letter, 'Upgrading marred by carelessness' (ST, Jan 16), by Mr Seto Hann Hoi.

Mr Seto referred to the Interim Upgrading Programme (IUP) in his precinct at Clementi Avenue 3. Following the announcement of the IUP in 2000, a working committee, comprising representatives from the community and town council, was formed to oversee the project. Upgrading works were carried out between August 2001 and December 2002.

Mr Seto has previously given us useful feedback on various improvement works. Some of his suggestions, for example, on the location of precinct signs and notice boards, have been imple-mented.

He commented in his letter that the contractor should have painted the blocks last. The sequence of works is usually left to the discretion of the contractor because whatever his decision, he has to ensure that all work is completed satisfactorily.

In this instance, the contractor chose to paint walls of the corridors first before resurfacing the floors. This was to prevent paint from staining the newly screeded floor surface.

Nevertheless, Mr Seto has made a valid observation. In future, the town council will ask contractors to consider scheduling painting works after other works like additions and alterations are substantially completed.

On the upgraded lifts, we had previously informed him that there were some technical constraints involved in implementing his suggestion to convert the lifts to a duplex system. Nevertheless, the town council is exploring the possibility of modifying the system to overcome the technical constraints.

As for the choice of tiles in the lift lobby, this is highly subjective. In this particular precinct, the architect proposed a variety of colours to give the lobby a colourful look, which the working committee accepted.

The re-roofing works mentioned by Mr Seto were cyclical works due and carried out in late 2003, a year after IUP works had been completed. The works neither interfered with the upgrading works nor caused any wastage of funds.

We wish to assure Mr Seto that we are mindful of our residents' needs, and will continue to do our best to ensure that there is no undue inconvenience to them whenever we carry out improvement works in our estates.

We thank him for his feedback. We would also like to request our residents who have maintenance queries or feedback to call us on the following numbers: 1800-776 0271 (Clementi office); 1800-896 4890 (Boon Lay office).

LOW SIM YEE (MS)
Public Relations Manager
for Secretary/General Manager
West Coast Ayer Rajah Town Council


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 

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FEB 10, 2004
Paid parking to manage demand
I REFER to the letter, 'How about free parking?' (ST, Feb 6), by Mr George Lum Kwek Siong.

HDB is mindful that weekends and public holidays are usually the time when families get together. To promote social interaction and foster family ties, the Free Parking Scheme (FPS) from 7am to 10.30pm on Sundays and public holidays was introduced in 1986.

HDB carparks are provided primarily to serve HDB residents and HDB's priority is in meeting their needs. Hence, the FPS can be implemented only at selected carparks where there are sufficient parking lots for the residents. There were instances where some carparks had to be withdrawn from the scheme when usage reached such an extent that season-parking ticket-holders had difficulty finding lots on days when the FPS was in operation. Hourly parking charges are implemented to regulate the demand for short-term parking and to ensure that residents need not compete with visitors for parking lots.

As residents usually return home in the evening, this is the time when the carparks are needed most. Having per-entry parking after 5pm or extending the FPS to include the eves of holidays would result in residents being deprived of their parking lots.


ENG SOH SENG
Deputy Director (Car Parks)
For Director, Housing Administration
Housing & Development Board

I REFER to the letter by Mr Peter Teo Boon Haw ('How about free parking?'; ST, Feb 6). Mr Teo had suggested that free parking for the carpark located next to Bukit Batok Nature Park would encourage more people to lead a healthy lifestyle.

The Urban Redevelopment Authority manages the carpark on behalf of the National Parks Board. The park is a very popular venue for morning and evening exercises daily. For this reason and because of its proximity to a housing estate, the carpark is in high demand.

Paid parking is thus necessary to ensure turnover of the lots so that park users would have access to parking lots.

CHOY CHAN PONG
Director, Land Administration Division
Urban Redevelopment Authority
 

jq75

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Can this be considered???


CPF grant not for private property

I REFER to the letter, "First-timer's CPF grant should apply" by Mr Roy Chang Say Won and Mr Henry Lim Li Shun (Today, Feb 3).
.
The writers have suggested that the CPF Housing Grant be extended to first-timer buyers of resale Executive Condominium (EC) units.
.
Resale EC units bought from the open market are similar to private properties. All the initial restrictions on ownership and resale of ECs are lifted five years after the EC's Temporary Occupation Permit date, except for the restriction on resale to foreigners and corporate bodies, which is lifted after 10 years.
.
This is unlike resale HDB flats, which are subject to public housing rules and policies.
.
As the CPF Housing Grant is not meant to subsidise the purchase of private property, the Government has no intention of extending the housing grant to buyers of resale EC units.
.
Julia Hang (Mrs)
.
Asst Director, Public Affairs
.
Ministry of National
.
Development
 

sunsetbay

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jq75 said:
Can this be considered???

yes, although the resale EC is different from HDB resale flats but the direct EC follows quite alot of its ruling & policies same as HDB flats. this article will be useful for those upgraders.


Fm TODAY, 11 Feb 2004

CPF grant not for private property

REFER to the letter, "First-timer's CPF grant should apply" by Mr Roy Chang Say Won and Mr Henry Lim Li Shun (Today, Feb 3).

The writers have suggested that the CPF Housing Grant be extended to first-timer buyers of resale Executive Condominium (EC) units.

Resale EC units bought from the open market are similar to private properties. All the initial restrictions on ownership and resale of ECs are lifted five years after the EC's Temporary Occupation Permit date, except for the restriction on resale to foreigners and corporate bodies, which is lifted after 10 years.

This is unlike resale HDB flats, which are subject to public housing rules and policies.

As the CPF Housing Grant is not meant to subsidise the purchase of private property, the Government has no intention of extending the housing grant to buyers of resale EC units.

Julia Hang (Mrs)

Asst Director, Public Affairs
Ministry of National Development
 

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More carparks may get trial per-minute charging

I REFER to the letter, 'Have contactless system for per-minute parking' (ST, Feb 4), by Mr Yeo Ghee. The contactless system at the Rochor Centre and Toa Payoh Central carparks is part of HDB's pilot implementation of the Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) Parking System. Along with the ERP Parking System, per-minute charging was introduced at these carparks on a trial basis.

HDB is considering introducing the ERP Parking System and per-minute charging in more of our carparks, where feasible.

ENG SOH SENG
Deputy Director (Car Parks)
For Director (Housing Administration)
Housing & Development Board
 

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HDB works with town councils, agencies to coordinate upgrading

FEB 17, 2004
HDB works with town councils, agencies to coordinate upgrading
WE REFER to the letter, 'New walkways, car lots go in 'upgrading' ' (ST, Jan 9), by Mr Yan Dah Wea.

The sheltered linkways at Bukit Batok Central/West Avenue 6 were built by the Jurong Town Council in 2001 as part of its improvement works for residents. The Town Council took due care to integrate the linkway designs with the surroundings. Construction of the linkways was completed in November 2001 and the local residents' committees were satisfied with the completed works.

The two carparks serving blocks 101 to 132 were built in the 1980s. When HDB surveyed their condition in 2001, there was already deterioration of the skid resistance and surface condition of the driveways. Some of the aeration slabs and concrete linings and kerbs were also damaged due to wear and tear over the years.

The lift-upgrading works for blocks 101 to 108 and 110 Bukit Batok Central/West Avenue 6 started in the second quarter of last year. Before works began, HDB conducted a survey to identify areas to be boarded up for proper work access and to ensure the safety of residents during the construction period.

As part of the preparatory works, the turf area had to be covered and certain sections of the linkway had to be removed to enable crane access.

By the time lift upgrading was announced in September 2001, work on the linkways was mostly completed. As it would not have been prudent to delay the improvement works for the carparks, HDB proceeded with the necessary works in April 2002, before polling for the lift upgrading in July 2002.

Nonetheless, HDB did make an effort to minimise wastage and disruptions. Eventually, less than one third of the linkways and 10 per cent of the parking lots were affected by the lift-upgrading works.

The cable-laying works along the service carpark near blocks 102 and 106 is not related to the lift-upgrading works. Road excavations are primarily carried out for utility-upgrading works, and the laying of new cables is to facilitate new development or to meet an increase in the demand for power supply.

The Land Transport Authority will coordinate and schedule road excavations with the utility service agencies doing their works sequentially to ensure that the works are carried out with minimal disruption to the public using the road.

We wish to assure the writer that the various agencies do recognise the benefits of coordinating construction works. However, this is not always possible due to unforeseen circumstances, as in this case.

HDB will continue to work with the town councils and external agencies to ensure that there is good coordination of upgrading and improvement works, and minimise disruption and wastage.

We thank Mr Yan for his feedback and suggestions.



TAN HENG HUAY
Deputy Director
(Public Affairs) Housing and Development Board


HO THIAN POH
General Manager
Jurong Town Council


HAN LIANG YUAN (MS)
Senior Manager
Corporate Communications
Land Transport Authority
 

jq75

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HDB Launches New Issuance of Notes

HDB Launches New Issuance of Notes

The Housing and Development Board ("HDB") today launched new issuance of Notes under its S$7 billion Medium Term Note ("MTN") Programme.

2The issuance comprises two series of Notes:
-One is a $250 million, 5-year Fixed Rate Note issue with a fixed rate coupon of 2.42% per annum payable semi-annually in arrears.
-Another is a $250 million,10-year Fixed Rate Note issue with a fixed rate coupon of 3.56% per annum payable semi-annually in arrears.

3The Notes to be issued will be in denominations of S$250,000 and will be offered by way of placement. Application is being made for the listing of the Notes on the Singapore Exchange Securities Trading Limited. The lead managers for both series are DBS Bank Ltd and The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited.

4Under HDB's MTN programme, HDB will, from time to time, issue bonds (or notes) to finance its development programme and working capital requirements as well as to refinance its existing housing development loans. Each series of bonds (or notes) may be issued in various currencies, amounts and maturities, and may comprise bonds (or notes) with fixed, floating, or variable interest rates.

5HDB was set up as a statutory board on 1 February 1960. Over the last 40 years, it has built approximately 960,000 flats. HDB houses 84% of the Singapore's population and enable nine out of ten of them to be homeowners. This has made Singapore one of the highest home ownership nations in the world. The provision of quality housing and related services, and the renewal of the older HDB estates, will remain the focus for HDB.




Issued By : Housing & Development Board
Date : 16 Feb 2004
 

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Re: HDB Launches New Issuance of Notes

jq75 said:
HDB Launches New Issuance of Notes

The Housing and Development Board ("HDB") today launched new issuance of Notes under its S$7 billion Medium Term Note ("MTN") Programme.

2The issuance comprises two series of Notes:
-One is a $250 million, 5-year Fixed Rate Note issue with a fixed rate coupon of 2.42% per annum payable semi-annually in arrears.
-Another is a $250 million,10-year Fixed Rate Note issue with a fixed rate coupon of 3.56% per annum payable semi-annually in arrears.

.............

though government bonds or notes is one of the safest investment bt the interest rate doesn't really looks attractive. previously LTA's bonds gives abt 4% (or izzit 4.5%?) interest!!
 

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some property news

Fm TODAY, 19 Feb 2004

The property market and the waiting game

The time is ripe for a turnaround, but who will blink first?

Derrick A Paulo
derrick@newstoday.com.sg

Like two poker players watching each other for a tell-tale twitch, homebuyers and property developers are waiting to see who will blink first.

Analysts say the conditions are ripe for an imminent improvement in the property market, but everyone's waiting for a sign of a turnaround.

The feared Sars resurgence has not taken place. The impact of the Iraq war is being felt only in Washington and a global economic recovery seems on track.

"The ingredients are in place, but what seems to be missing is somebody who is willing to make the first move," said Mr Tay Kah Poh, executive director of property consultancy Knight Frank.

Homebuyers, having seen prices on a steady slide for almost three years, are still sitting on the sidelines and watching for evidence that the bottom has been reached.

Developers, meanwhile, are waiting for signs that buyers are returning to the market. "There are not that many interesting projects being launched. Many are projects which are being relaunched. It's all about cautiousness," said Ms Tang Wei Leng, associate director at DTZ Debenham Tie Leung.

"If developers price one project wrongly, it will affect all the other projects."

While there have been some property launches in recent months, these have been in the mid-market or upper-market range, where the demand is considerably smaller.

At a micro-level, things are picking up, said CKS Property Consultants' director for residential agency, Mr Charles Ng. "If you look at the newspapers, companies are beginning to hire again. If you look at car registrations, the number is going up. The stock market has gone up and people may soon be profit-taking and parking their money somewhere else, like property," he said.

The current low interest rate environment is conducive for buying homes. And, after a general decline of several years, the HDB market has picked up, with the resale prices of HDB flats on the rise.

Developers, however, are in no hurry to get their projects off the drawing board. Most have already absorbed the hits from the last three years and are not dependent on generating liquidity from sales to stay afloat or satisfy shareholders.

"There is enough supply now and in the pipeline. There are about 18,000 unsold units and units yet to be launched," pointed out Chesterton International's associate director for research and consultancy, Mr Nicholas Mak.

But homebuyers need to see that the economic recovery can be sustained and job security is still a concern, said Mr Mak. "That bullish factor is not there anymore," said DTZ's Ms Tang.

Now, there is a new wild card in the deck: Flexi-wages. The uncertainty over just what the push for wage reform could mean will dampen the demand for property, said Ms Tang and Mr Mak.

Singaporeans have wised up and will be doing their sums very carefully. "The message not to over-invest seems to be sinking in," said Mr Tay.

All this waiting means that pent-up demand is bubbling under the surface. Last year, only 5,200 residential units were sold compared to the annual average of 6,000 to 7,000 units.

Jones Lang LaSalle's head of research, Ms Teresa Khoo, expects a better take-up rate this year. Some observers see prices rising around 5 percent this year as demand increases, but the significant prices increases will only come when developers see a sustainable increase in buying activity.

With 17 projects with a total of 3,100 housing units due to come onto the market in the next six months, there is a good chance, say analysts, that one or two could provide the spark that seems to be needed to initiate a recovery.

"Let's see who will blink first," said Mr Ng with a laugh.
 

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HDB builds BTO flats only if take-up is good

Today 20 Feb


I refer to Mr Andrew Ting Kok Liang's letter, "Booking rate for Sundial project was 70%, not 'insufficient' " (Today, Feb 12).
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Under the Build-to-Order (BTO) system, the Housing and Development Board (HDB) will proceed to construct the flats only if the take-up is good ? to ensure that there is a demand for the flats when they are built and to avoid a situation of over-supply. This is made known to applicants upfront.
.
The Sundial project was offered in the September 2003 BTO exercise and consists of two separate contracts. The response to the project at the application stage was good. But during the selection exercise, some applicants decided not to book a unit. In the end, one contract achieved a take-up rate of 67 per cent, but the other achieved only a 43-per cent take-up.
.
Hence, the HDB decided to call tender only for the contract with the higher take-up rate.
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The HDB wrote to all the applicants who had selected a flat in the unsuccessful contract, including Mr Ting, to explain the alternatives available to them.
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Mr Ting also commented that his queue position in the selection exercise for The Aspella was not as favourable as the one he was allocated for The Sundial.
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For each BTO exercise, the HDB will process all the applications it receives, by a computer ballot.
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Hence, an applicant's queue position in a previous exercise has no bearing on his queue position in subsequent exercises. We would like to inform Mr Ting that the computer ballot is audited by both internal and external auditors.
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The HDB strives to ensure transparency in the application and selection processes under the BTO. At the application stage, applicants can view the number of applications received for each BTO project on the HDB's InfoWeb at www.hdb.gov.sg with twice-daily updates.
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During the selection exercise, shortlisted applicants can also access e-Sales on the HDB InfoWeb or on Teletext to check which flats remain available for booking.
.
Tay Koon Quie, Deputy director (sales),
.
for Director (estate administration and property), Housing and Development Board
 

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Joint BCA/HDB Statement on Measures to Ensure Window Safety in Private and HDB Estate

In view of the rising incidence of fallen window incidents in recent years, the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) and the Housing and Development Board (HDB) are taking various measures to ensure the safety of windows in private and HDB estates.

Rising Trend Of Fallen Windows

2 The number of reported fallen windows from high-rise buildings has risen sharply over the last 4 years. From 2000 to 2003, there was a total of 190 fallen window cases – 166 in HDB blocks and 24 in private buildings [see Annex]. Almost 80% of windows which had fallen in HDB blocks were casement windows. The majority (75%) of the fallen casement windows were installed by HDB flat lessees themselves.


Measures Taken To Minimise Incidence Of Fallen Windows

3 Under the terms of the Lease, HDB flat lessees are responsible for maintaining the windows in their flat in good working condition. Since 1999, HDB has embarked on a programme to educate lessees on the need to ensure proper maintenance of their windows. On 16 Nov 03, HDB launched the HDB Residents' Handbook to help lessees carry out simple maintenance and repairs to their flat. In addition, lessees are required to hire only HDB-trained window contractors to carry out window installation and repair works with effect from 1 Dec 03.

4 For strata-titled developments, the Management Corporation is responsible for the maintenance of external windows. BCA issued advisory notes to Management Corporations in Nov 03 to advise them on the importance of proper maintenance of windows.

5 Despite these efforts, the number of fallen window cases has increased from 1 per week in 2002 to 2 cases per week in 2003. In the last four months of 2003, there were more than 3 fallen window incidents per week.


Additional Measures To Ensure Window Safety

Legislation to regulate the safety of windows and require periodic inspection of windows

6 To ensure window safety, BCA intends to introduce legislation later this year to regulate the design and installation of windows. The legislation will apply to all types of high-rise properties. BCA will work in close consultation with industry bodies to put in place the necessary legislation to ensure that acceptable safety standards are adhered to. The legislation will also require property owners to retrofit their existing windows to comply with these same safety standards. In addition, BCA will also put in place a framework for authorised persons to carry out periodic inspection of windows and certify their safety.

Goodwill programme for replacement of aluminium rivets of casement windows installed by HDB

7 HDB will carry out a one-off goodwill rivet replacement programme for 43,000 flats which have aluminium rivets for casement windows installed by HDB. Under this programme, HDB will co-pay 50% of the cost of replacing the aluminium rivets with stainless steel rivets for casement windows installed by HDB and the flat lessee will pay the remaining 50%. This programme will not include flats with casement windows which are installed by the flat lessees themselves.

8 This one-off goodwill rivet replacement programme will run from Mar 2004 to Feb 2005. HDB will be writing to the individual flat lessees to inform them of the details.


Reminder to Homeowners

9 BCA and HDB would like to remind all home owners to check their windows regularly, and repair them if necessary, to ensure that their windows are always safe and secure. Private property owners can refer to BCA's website at www.bca.gov.sg for information on window maintenance. HDB flat lessees can refer to HDB's InfoWEB at http://www.hdb.gov.sg for information on window maintenance or approach the HDB Branch Office managing their flat for assistance.


Enquiries

10For enquiries, the public can contact:

(a) Mr Tan Kok Chuan and Mrs Ling-Yap Kim Har from BCA at Tel: 63257389 and Tel: 63258649

(b) the Branch Office Service Line at Tel : 1800 866 3030


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Issued By : Building & Construction Authority and Housing & Development Board
Date : 20 Feb 2004


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jq75

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Improved clothes drying system for new flats

Improved clothes drying system for new flats
I REFER to the letter, 'My Grandma 'maid' sense' (The Sunday Times, Feb 15), by Dr Lee Siew Peng.

The clothes-drying pipe-socket system was a standard provision when HDB flats were first built. New flats now come with an improved clothes-drying system. The drying racks are designed such that the bamboo poles are supported on both ends, making hanging of laundry easier and safer.

The older flats will be fitted with this system under the Main Upgrading Programme where feasible.

In designing our flats, where feasible the clothes-drying area would be situated where there is ample sunlight and good ventilation.

We share Dr Lee's concern and are constantly looking at ways to improve the design of our laundry-drying systems.

Currently HDB is looking at a new system where the poles are placed parallel to the facade of the flats, a design that allows for easy hanging and retrieval of clothes.

The system will first be used in the 40-storey blocks at Toa Payoh and Queenstown. If feedback shows it to be a better alternative, HDB will implement it in future projects where feasible.



TAY BOON SUN
Senior Public Relations Officer
For Director (Corporate Development)
Housing and Development Board
 
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