In Pictures: Public housing in Singapore through the years

The Housing and Development Board (HDB), the national housing authority, was formed in February 1960, taking over housing responsibilities from its predecessor, the Singapore Improvement Trust (SIT).
HDB embarked on a massive programme to house the many people living in squatter settlements. Now, more than 80 per cent of Singapore’s population live in HDB flats.
Singapore's first estate, Queenstown, was initiated by SIT in the 1950s but was fully developed by HDB. The second town, Toa Payoh, was the first to be planned and designed by HDB. There are now 23 towns across Singapore.
Pictures curated by Simon Ker and Zarinah Mohamed.
Photographs can be purchased from the Information Resource Centre, tel: 63195726, 63195508

Updated

Published

Feb 22, 2017, 10:00 AM

1961: On 25 May 1961, a massive fire in Bukit Ho Swee left thousands homeless. "Operation Shift" began, in a move to place over 1000 affected families to HDB flats in Queenstown, Tiong Bahru, Alexandra and Kallang area from the relief centre. The Bukit Ho Swee area was redeveloped and flats were built in a record nine months later. ST FILE PHOTO: CHRISTOPHER LOH

1961: Official opening of the first phase of the new Bukit Ho Swee housing estate by Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, in September. He told Bukit Ho Swee fire victims that within a year they will be housed in flats on the site of the disastrous fire. The first completed blocks of flats, containing one-room, semi-communal units, are all occupied by fire victims. The rent is $20 a month. ST FILE PHOTO: HAN HAI FONG

1962: Flats in Queenstown built by the Housing and Development Board (HDB). Queenstown was one of the earliest housing estates to be built by the Singapore Improvement Trust, the predecessor to HDB. It was named after Queen Elizabeth II, in 1953, in commemoration of her being proclaimed queen. After HDB was formed in 1960, Queenstown underwent major development from 1960 to 1965 as part of HDB’s first Five Year Building Programme. ST FILE PHOTO

1965: Balloting for two 10-storey flats in Macpherson estate. In 1964, HDB began selling flats under a homeownership scheme. ST FILE PHOTO: MAK KIAN SENG

1965: Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, visits the Queenstown housing estate as part of his two-day official visit to Singapore in February. He is accompanied by the Yang di-Pertuan Negara, Yusof Ishak and the housing minister, Mr Lim Kim San. Flat residents, some from balconies, crowded to see the Duke. ST FILE PHOTO: KOK AH CHONG

1967: An overhead bridge under construction over a busy Tiong Bahru Road, in front of a block of flats. In this year, the Land Acquisition Act enabled HDB to clear slums and squatters to free up land for public housing and infrastruture developments. ST FILE PHOTO: LOW YEW KONG

1968: HDB launched “Operation Broomstick”, its contribution to the national keep clean campaign. Launched in Toa Payoh and Tiong Bahru estate, residents, hawkers and officials took part by sweeping and cleaning open spaces, playgrounds and carparks. ST FILE PHOTO: LOW YEW KONG

1969: Toa Payoh housing estate. It was the first estate planned and designed by HDB based on the neighbourhood concept, where neighbourhoods were grouped around a town centre. The centre would have public facilities such as schools and shops. ST FILE PHOTO: ALI YUSOFF

1972: Queen Elizabeth II on a three-day state visit to Singapore. One of the items in her itinerary was a tour of Toa Payoh housing estate, to see how Singapore has tackled the housing problem. PHOTO: NANYANG SIANG PAO

1973: Bird's-eye view of the Geylang Serai market and carpark. HDB began to develop Geylang Serai into a modern housing estate from 1963. The market draws Malays from all over Singapore, but is also popular with locals and tourists of all races. ST FILE PHOTO: MAZLAN BADRON

1974: NTUC WELCOME supermarket at the ground floor of Block 50, Beo Crescent near Havelock Road. HDB built its first market/hawker centre on the first two floors of this block in 1966. The supermarket is the second to be opened by the co-operative, aimed to provide goods to the public at affordable and stable prices. ST FILE PHOTO: FRANCIS ONG

1989: Four blocks of flats at Boon Lay Drive were demolished using explosives. This area is now where Summerdale condominium is located. FILE PHOTO: YAP YEW PIANG

1996: Three blocks in Queenstown were placed under the Selective En-bloc Redevelopment Scheme (Sers). The scheme began in 1995 as a way to rejuvenate older estates. These residents were given the option to be resettled near one another in their new flats. ST FILE PHOTO: LIM SENG TIONG

1996: The crowd came prepared with their umbrellas to wait in the hot sun to view Westmere showflats in Jurong East. It was the first batch of executive condominiums to be built and sold. These condominiums come with facilities similar to private condominiums and with more affordable prices. ST FILE PHOTO: WONG KWAI CHOW

1998: Shielded from view by a ring of old trees are the new leisure facilities at the top of the hillock in Bukit Purmei, including an amphitheatre, a street soccer court and barbecue pits. They are part of an $11-million interim upgrading project. ST FILE PHOTO: ALBERT SIM

2010: The sun setting over public and private housing blocks. ST FILE PHOTO: ALPHONSUS CHERN

2010: Lightning strikes the sky over these HDB blocks in Jurong East Street 13 on a stormy evening. ST FILE PHOTO: SAMUEL HE

2010: River Vista@Kallang is the first completed waterfront HDB project. The estate is located at a point where Kallang River and Sungei Whampoa meet. It is designed to make the most of waterfront living with facilities such as a riverfront promenade where residents can view nature or do a spot of fishing. ST FILE PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN

2010: Rochor Centre (foreground) and high rise HDB flats in the Little India area. Rochor Centre, an HDB development of flats, eating houses and shops to be demolished in 2017. Most of the residents chose to move to newly completed Kallang Trivista at Upper Book Keng Road. ST FILE PHOTO: ALPHONSUS CHERN

2011: The rooftop garden at Block 465A, Upper Serangoon Road. Rooftop gardens were launched by HDB as “green roofs”, where plants help to reduce glare, lowers the ambient temperature and is pleasing to the eye. ST FILE PHOTO: MALAVIKA SINGH

2011: Toa Payoh. New high rise, high density flats replaced the older flats under the Selective En-bloc Redevelopment scheme (SERS). Demand for flats in such mature estates are high as young couples setting up home want to live near their parents. ST FILE PHOTO: ALPHONSUS CHERN

2013: HDB flats set against a brilliant sky. The rare ‘sky terrace’ on the 20th floor of point blocks in Bishan. One such unit was sold for a whopping sum of $1.08 million in 2014. ST FILE PHOTO: JOYCE FANG

2015: The Pinnacle@Duxton in Tanjong Pagar is Singapore’s tallest public housing project. The flats come with premium features and there is an distinctive feature of two skybridges that link the seven blocks on the 26th and 50th storey. ST FILE PHOTO: KEVIN LIM

2015: Two kindergarten students playing at the iconic dragon playground in Toa Payoh. It was designed by Mr Khor Ean Ghee, who was an interior designer with HDB. The playground has been there since 1979, and retains its original sand surface. ST FILE PHOTO: STEPHANIE YEOW

2016: A woman walking past the Design, Build and Sell Scheme (DBSS) flats of City View@Boon Keng. DBSS was a scheme where public housing flats were developed and sold by private developers and not HDB. Meant to provide condominium-style homes, the scheme was suspended in 2011 after public unhappiness over high selling prices. ST FILE PHOTO: DESMOND WEE

2016: Joyous Faces, an art installation adorning the facade of Block 11 in Upper Boon Keng Road. Featuring the smiling faces of Kolam Ayer residents against a multi-coloured background, the artwork is made up of 42 canvas print panels. Nearly 1,000 residents from Geylang Bahru contributed to the project, which is part of this year’s National Day celebrations. ST FILE PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI

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