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SINGAPORE – Most of the landowners on 60-year leased land located at Geylang Lorong 3 have found new homes, and the remaining few are still considering their options.
The land will be returned to the State when its lease agreements expire on December 31 of this year for remodeling.
There are a total of 191 terrace units located there, of which 149 are empty or used as accommodation for foreign workers or for religious activities.
Five were returned to the state earlier.
Of the 37 owner-occupied units, 32 have finished their next home, with some moving in with family members or buying new flats, the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) said on Thursday (December 3).
Among them are six who have purchased new flats and since their flats will not be ready by the December 31 deadline, the Housing Board has offered them units under the Provisional Rental Housing Plan.
The SLA said assistance is being offered to the remaining five units that are still considering their next permanent housing options.
Four are already in the process of moving into makeshift rental flats, while another has made alternative arrangements.
The SLA announced in 2017 that the terrace units at Geylang Lorong 3 will be returned to the state when their 60-year leases expire.
The site is slated for a new public housing development as part of a larger plan to rejuvenate Kallang, the SLA said.
“After all properties have been returned to the State at the expiration of the lease, SLA will accumulate and clear the site to prepare it for remodeling,” the agency said.
The SLA had made it easy to return property early for landlords who wanted it, by waiving processing fees and facilitating the refund of the remaining property tax.
For units used as accommodation for foreign workers, SLA and the Ministry of Labor (MOM) have contacted the employers of affected foreign workers to move them to other approved housing, such as specially built dormitories.
The MOM said that around 700 foreign workers employed by nearly 200 employers reside in Geylang Lorong 3.
About a third of employers have found alternative accommodation for 221 workers, while the rest are in the midst of getting them to be accommodated elsewhere, their spokesperson added.
“We have also assured employers that there are enough beds in specially built dormitories to house their workers,” the spokesperson said, adding that employers can also apply to the Singapore Dormitory Association for help.
Those conducting religious activities on the premises have been advised to consider sharing with religious groups operating elsewhere, or renting space within the commercial or industrial premises with a designated party for religious purposes, the SLA said.
Of the 16 units that are used for religious purposes, 13 have made relocation plans or decided to close, while the remaining three are still considering their options.
The SLA said occupants who need help relocating altars and deities can contact members of the National Steering Committee on Racial and Religious Harmony.
“The Government takes into account various national, social and economic needs when making land planning decisions and redevelopment plans. Returning the land leased to the State upon expiration of the lease allows the land to be rejuvenated to meet the various needs of Singaporeans, “said the SLA.
This is the first time that an independent residential lot in Singapore reaches the end of its lease.
Private houses leased for 70 years at Jalan Chempaka Kuning and Jalan Chempaka Puteh, near the Tanah Merah MRT station, are the next to expire in 2034.
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