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Andrea Ang, Marketing and Communications Manager, enjoys relaxing on the balcony of her five-bedroom Housing Board (HDB) apartment when she is stressed. After all, her house on the 21st floor on Crawford Lane overlooks Kampong Glam’s colorful and historic district.
The 35-year-old can also see the windows of her parents’ five-bedroom HDB apartment, just one block from North Bridge Road.
“There is a joke in my family that my parents can wave a flag in their window when dinner is ready and we will just walk there,” said Ang, who is an only child.
Five years ago, Ang and her husband Gary Lim, 39, who works as a cinematographer, had specifically searched for resale units within walking distance of her parents’ apartment, where she grew up.
Now that she works from home, the decision to live close to her parents, who are 60, has paid off, she said. She goes home an average of four times a week, sometimes to eat and sometimes just to chat.
“This area feels like home to me. As much as I’ve watched myself grow, I’ve also witnessed the change and development in this neighborhood. I can’t imagine living anywhere else,” he said.
For Ang and many other Singaporeans, their homes have taken on additional meaning amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
Most have never spent as much time at home as in recent months, according to authorities urging people to work from home whenever possible.
Ang said growing up, he never imagined that the quaint Kampong Glam neighborhood, now a thriving arts and cultural district, would become as popular as it is today.
Living, working and playing in the bustling cultural district where there is a mix of old and new is “pretty amazing,” he said.
“In the neighborhood stores, everyone knows everyone because they have been there for a long time. A few streets, there are also the hipster cafes,” he added.
One of her best childhood memories is following her grandmother to the nearby wet market on North Bridge Road to shop for groceries. These days, she still visits the same market.
“It has been improved over the years, but the good thing is that the character of the place is still intact and the same community still goes there,” he said.
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Capture snapshots of HDB life to win cameras, cash
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To celebrate its 60th anniversary, the Housing Board has partnered with Singapore Press Holdings’ Photonico platform to track the journey of Singapore’s public housing through photos.
Titled “Shapes of Home,” the photo contest invites members of the public to share what home means to them in either of two categories:
• Eco-friendly and distinctive HDB architecture and designs
• Heartland moments, including the vibrant life of the heart, moments in and around homes
HOW TO JOIN:
• Submit your photos on the Photonico website
• Post them publicly on Instagram with the hashtag #ShapesOfHome
‘SHAPES OF HOME’ CONTEST PRIZES:
• 1st Prize: Canon EOS 90D with 18-135mm kit lens ($ 2,379 value)
• Second Prize: Sony RX100 VII (valued at $ 1,649)
• 3rd Prize: GoPro Hero 8 with Accessories ($ 750 value)
• 10 Awards of Merit: $ 400 cash each
PRIZES FOR THE INSTAGRAM CONTEST #SHAPESOFHOME:
• 1st prize: Samsung S20 + (valued at $ 1,498)
• 10 Instagram Merit Awards: $ 200 cash each
DEADLINE:
• Presentations close on October 16
The mix of old and new in the upcoming town of Bidadari is also what attracted Sathiyasivan Balakrishnan, a 31-year-old customer service officer, to apply for a Build-To-Order (BTO) floor there almost five years ago. .
He and his wife Durgashini Sathiyasivan, 28, a civil servant, are eagerly waiting to move into their three-bedroom apartment early next year. It is currently undergoing renovation.
The couple now live with Sathiyasivan’s mother on St George’s Road in Boon Keng, where she has lived since she was 19 years old.
They had chosen the mature Bidadari estate for their first home because they wanted to live in a central location with established services, such as restaurants.
“For festivals like the lights of Chinatown and Little India, or the Ramadan bazaar in Geylang Serai, we are more likely to go because it is a short bus ride away,” Sathiyasivan said.
“Potong Pasir, which is right across from our future home, has an old-school charm that we also like,” he added.
Stories like Ang’s and Sathiyasivan’s have been among the fruits of HDB’s labor for the past six decades.
In 1960, amid a severe housing shortage, HDB was established to build many apartments quickly and profitably. These first floors were simple and utilitarian, while the cities had basic facilities.
Since then, HDB has continued to build housing to meet the changing needs and aspirations of Singaporeans. So far about 1.2 million homes have been built.
Efforts to go green have been intensified, with landscaped spaces incorporated into all housing developments, along with smart and sustainable features in new cities like Tengah.
Older cities have also been systematically improved through various HDB programs, such as the Home Improvement Program and the Remaking Our Heart program.
More than 80 percent of Singaporeans live in HDB apartments and nine out of ten own their homes.
In celebration of its 60th anniversary this year, HDB has partnered with Singapore Press Holdings’ Photonico platform on a project, titled “Shapes of Home”, to track the evolution of Singapore’s public housing journey.
Members of the public are invited to enter a photo contest to share what home means to them.
The winning entries will be published in The Straits Times and on the Photonico website.
ST will also publish a 10-page Big Picture series every Wednesday and Saturday, starting this Saturday, with stock photos depicting life on HDB properties.
The HDB said: “Over the years, the ‘home’ has also transcended beyond the four physical walls, into the heart, properties and cities. Through this collaboration, we seek to capture the shapes and forms of HDB’s ‘home’ and the everyday moments of the life of the heart through the eyes of Singaporeans. “
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