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According to recently published reports, Singapore is the world’s most expensive city to live in, with rental prices for a two-bedroom apartment in public housing starting at $2,000 Singapore dollars, or approximately $1,500. This is due to the scarcity of land in Singapore, which is less than a quarter the size of Rhode Island, the smallest state in the US.
Despite the country’s population increasing from 1.65 million to 5.45 million people over the past 60 years, more than eighty percent of the population resides in public housing, where singles are not eligible to purchase a unit before the age of thirty-five according to Housing and Development Board eligibility conditions.
To avoid high rent prices, many individuals choose to live with their parents until marriage, while those who cannot afford to do so may opt to share a flat with another tenant. These rented units usually cost around $500 for a fully furnished room, located at least thirty minutes away from the city center.
The Housing and Development Board of the country has released sample rooms of their new pilot public rental housing model for singles. This scheme is designed for vulnerable singles who earn an average monthly income of $1,000 but are open to those with a higher income as well. Applications for this single room shared facilities scheme are set to be launched by the end of the year.
Previously a school dormitory with only 240 rooms, the two 11-story buildings have now been modified with additional partitions to double the number of rooms available. Each room, which is slightly less than 100 sq ft in size and will come with basic furnishings such as a bed frame, wardrobe, table, chair, and a mini fridge.
The bathroom and kitchen facilities will be shared by residents of the flat, with twelve people allocated to a single bathroom that has multiple cubicles, and twenty-four people sharing a common kitchen. The flat will also have laundry and activity rooms available.
Residents will be required to pay a fixed monthly fee, which will be calculated based on their income and other factors. The government has not yet released specific information regarding the rent, but more details are expected later in the year. The release of pictures of the rooms and facilities has resulted in mixed responses on various social media platforms in Singapore.
Despite a decrease in the number of street homeless persons from 1,050 to 616 in 2021, the occupancy in temporary shelters has increased over sixfold. The public rental housing system is believed to be a contributing factor to homelessness.
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