Former Serangoon JC and Innova JC among 36 properties to be converted into temporary housing for foreign workers

The two properties are among 17 former schools that will be converted to temporary accommodation for migrant workers. PHOTOS: ST FILE

Updated

Published

Jun 01, 2020, 09:49 PM

SINGAPORE - Thirty-six unused state properties, including former schools, will be converted to temporary accommodation for migrant workers by the end of this year.

The joint announcement by the Ministry of National Development (MND) and the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) on Monday (June 1) came shortly after the multi-ministry task force tackling the coronavirus outbreak said that about 60,000 bed spaces for migrant workers could be made ready by the year-end.

About 25,000 migrant workers will be housed at the 36 sites, which also include vacant factories and tentage at the National Service Resort & Country Club (NSRCC) Kranji.

Minister for National Development Lawrence Wong, who co-chairs the task force, said: "For now, we have been using sites like army camps and sports halls as well as some vacant HDB flats to decant workers... in order to reduce the density of the dormitories.

"But these are temporary solutions because eventually these sites will have to be returned to their original users and, therefore, we need more sustainable solutions for new dormitory solutions."

In their statement, the ministries said that together with eight new Quick Build Dormitories, which will be built by the end of this year, the 36 converted properties will be a short- to medium-term arrangement to house the workers.

They will eventually be replaced by new purpose-built dormitories, which will be constructed to house up to 100,000 workers in the long term.

Some of the 17 former schools that will be converted are the former Innova Junior College (JC) at 21 Champions Way, the former Serangoon JC at 1033 Upper Serangoon Road, and the former Tampines JC at 2 Tampines Ave 9.

Aside from the schools and the tentage at NSRCC Kranji, nine vacant factories and nine other vacant state properties will also be converted into temporary accommodations.

Mr Wong said: "In land scarce Singapore, it is inevitable that some of these new dormitory sites would be quite near residential areas. So all of us must do our part by rejecting the not-in-my-backyard mindset."

He added that Singaporeans "really need to appreciate" the continued contributions made by all migrant workers in building Singapore, and welcome them as part of our community.