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Getting Vers right is crucial to preserving the Singaporean idea of home
More than an exercise in renewal, it must be about giving people a choice and the voice to help shape the future of their own estates.
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When a supermajority of residents in ageing blocks agree, the precinct can be sold back to HDB for redevelopment.
PHOTO: ST FILE
Christopher Gee
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In the next few decades, a growing number of HDB flats will edge towards the end of their 99-year leases. Lease decay will soon test not only Singapore’s housing model but also its social compact.
For most of Singapore’s history, urban renewal has been a selective, top-down exercise. The Selective En bloc Redevelopment Scheme (Sers) allowed the state to acquire old flats, compensate owners, and move them into new homes with fresh leases.
