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THE Housing Board will not neglect the needs of the poor, or be rigid, as it upgrades flats under schemes which have recently been revamped.
The Minister of State for National Development, Ms Grace Fu, gave this guarantee as the Housing & Development (Amendment) Bill, which facilitates one of the new programmes, was discussed and passed in Parliament on Monday.
During the debate, various MPs had put forward wish-lists.
Madam Cynthia Phua, MP for Aljunied GRC wanted the Government to absorb the co-payment that will be required for lower-income households to get their homes upgraded.
Under the new Home Improvement Programme (HIP), which focuses on essential improvements within a flat such as repairing spalling concrete, residents will have to pay between 5 and 12.5 per cent of the total bill. They can opt out of some items.
The other new scheme recently introduced - the Neighbourhood Renewal Programme where improvements are made across several precincts - is to be fully paid for by the Government.
Mr Liang Eng Hwa, MP for Holland-Bukit Timah GRC asked for items such as aluminium window frames or accessibility features for the elderly and disabled to be added to the list of essential improvements under the HIP programme.
He also wanted the Government to consider extending its upgrading schemes to to private estates.
Ms Fu rejected Mr Liang's suggestion that government subsidised upgrading be offered to private estates, pointing out that private homes could be owned by foreigners as well as permanent residents. Unlike owners of HDB flats, private home owners also have the option of selling their homes collectively.
On the question of lower-income households, Ms Fu said that flatowners can cut their bills by opting out of various improvements.
Read the full story in Tuesday's edition of The Straits Times.
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