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SINGAPORE: A new type of public housing with elderly-friendly design features and subscription to care services will go on sale in the February Build-to-Order (BTO) exercise, authorities announced on Thursday (December 10). ).
The apartments, known as Community Care Apartments, are for homebuyers 65 and older.
To be located at Bukit Batok West Avenue 9, buyers will have the flexibility to choose a 15- to 35-year lease. The apartments cannot be resold or rented.
“(The apartments) will offer seniors 65 and older an affordable housing option that integrates senior-friendly design features with care services that can be scaled according to care needs,” the ministry said. of National Development (MND), the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Housing and Development Board (HDB), which jointly developed the concept of housing.
Under the model, eligible seniors will have to purchase a variable housing lease and subscribe to a mandatory basic care package, with the option to add more advanced care services.
The Community Care Apartments in Bukit Batok will be integrated with a street vendor center, activity center and community garden. (Photo: Housing and Development Board)
READ: First Pilot Assisted Living Site to Launch in Bukit Batok Next Year
There will also be common areas, services and programs to “allow for meaningful participation and social interactions among residents,” authorities said.
The new concept of housing was developed as Singapore cares for a rapidly aging population. By 2030, nearly a million Singaporeans will be 65 or older, nearly double the number in 2017, they added.
“This pilot will expand today’s options for older people who require some care and support within their homes, but are still able and willing to live on their own,” National Development Minister Desmond Lee said in a Facebook post.
Health Minister Gan Kim Yong added:“With the new Community Care Apartments, our seniors can expect to live independently even when their care needs change, and enjoy more opportunities to stay active and take charge of their health.”
CARE SERVICES, ADEQUATE FEATURES FOR SENIORS
There will be 160 apartments for sale, located in a single block with 14 units on each floor.
Under the mandatory basic service package, residents will have access to 24-hour emergency monitoring and response, key card access to their apartments, basic health checks, and simple in-home arrangements.
These will be facilitated by a community manager on the site.
Residents can also opt for additional care services at an additional daily cost, including personal home care, medical transportation, meal delivery, laundry and cleaning.
They will also get priority admission to the nearby Bukit Batok Care Home in the future if needed.
To facilitate social interaction, the community manager will also organize programs for residents, MND, MOH and HDB said. Besides that, they can blend into common spaces of about 50 square meters on each floor.
The common areas of the assisted living floors will provide residents with a space to interact. (Photo: Housing and Development Board)
“Residents of Community Care Apartments in Bukit Batok will also enjoy convenient access to a variety of retail, entertainment, healthcare and public transportation services that support the daily needs of the elderly,” authorities said.
These include a street vendor center, community garden, Bukit Batok polyclinic, shopping malls and wet markets.
The Community Care Apartments will be designed with an open layout. There will be a sliding screen to separate the bedroom and the living room. (Photo: Housing and Development Board)
Each apartment, which measures 32 square meters, will come with accessories for the elderly, including wheelchair doors, large bathrooms, grab bars and non-slip floors.
There will also be built-in closets and cabinets, along with a furnished kitchen so minimal renovations will be needed before seniors can move in, authorities said.
The floors are designed in an open layout, with sliding partitions that separate the space from the living room and the bedroom. It was a design adjustment made after feedback from the focus groups.
WHO IS ELIGIBLE
Applicants must be 65 years of age or older, with an average gross monthly household income not to exceed S $ 14,000.
Only families with at least one Singaporean applicant and singles who are Singapore citizens can apply.
Those who have previously received two public housing grants and who have purchased HDB Studio Apartments or two-bedroom Flexi flats on short lease in the past are not eligible.
Applicants who already own private property or HDB apartment must sell the property within six months of collecting the keys to their Community Care apartments.
As with other types of housing, applicants must purchase a lease that covers themselves and their spouse, if any, until they are at least 95 years old.
That means possible lease lengths range from 15 to 35 years, in five-year increments.
Applicants for assisted living flats must purchase a lease that covers themselves and their spouse, if any, until they are at least 95 years old. (Source: Housing and Development Board)
While the apartments cannot be resold or rented, owners who no longer need them can return them to HDB for a refund of the remaining contract value.
The authorities added that older people “with more urgent care needs” will be given priority, such as in cases where an applicant or occupant needs permanent assistance with activities of daily living.
More details on the quota for this group will be released in the BTO exercise in February.
Seniors can also vote jointly for the flat with an eligible friend or relative. If successful, both applicants will be able to reserve their apartments together.
The Community Care Apartments in Bukit Batok will be integrated with a street vendor center, activity center and community garden. (Photo: Housing and Development Board)
PRICE STARTS FROM S $ 62,000
Indicative prices for community care apartments amount to more than S $ 62,000 for the shortest 15-year lease.
This price includes both the cost of the unit and the subscription to the basic service package.
Applicants must pay the lease upfront in full, using cash and / or the balance of their Central Provident Fund.
Buyers will also have to pay stamps, legal and other fees for the flat purchase, which will add up to about 2 percent of the fixed price, authorities said.
For the basic service package, they can choose to pay fully upfront or partially upfront while paying S $ 50 per month for the entire lease. This monthly fee will be reviewed periodically.
An example of the total upfront payment that applicants would have to make under the leases they choose (Source: Housing & Development Board)
The public can learn more about the apartments at an exhibition held at the HDB Hub in Toa Payoh from December 14 to March 31.
There will be a mock-up of the common space, along with 3D models of the apartments, while a showroom of the flat will be available from January 4 next year.
In accordance with safe distancing measures, visitors must book an appointment to visit the exhibition. Appointments can be made from December 11, before the opening of the exhibition.
