Affordable Resort-Style Housing

This statement must surely elicit hysterical laughter from the many Singaporeans now waiting in line for their “affordable” public flats:

HDB flats will remain affordable to the vast majority of Singaporeans.

Also:

HDB flats are not merely roofs over one’s heads, but also comfortable homes that we can raise our families in as well as a valuable asset which can contribute to our retirement needs.

How can it contribute to your retirement needs if you have nowhere to stay after you sell your flat? Oh right, I forgot — you’re supposed to move in with your children. Yeah, HDB flats certainly are ‘assets’ if you’re willing to downgrade your living conditions.

Next, compare

We must also be mindful to be cost-effective when designing and building our flats.

with

Residents can look forward to resort-style housing

Should HDB be in the business of providing “resort-style housing”?

2 Comments »

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  1. Thanks for bringing this up. The thing about
    ‘affordability’ is that it is subjective and open
    to manipulation by the powers-that-be. Hence,
    affordability in singapore means ‘how much debt can
    one afford to take on whilst assuming one’s job
    to be secure’, whilst ignoring the insecurity of one’s
    job in a nation where, amongst others, the workers
    have as much rights as those in feudal times. It can
    also refer to ‘how much debt can you pass on to one’s
    children. I call that ‘debt diffusion planning’.

    That’s confucian pragmatism for you.;)

    My personal view of ‘affordability’ is, ‘if you can’t
    pay it of in 5 years, then you can’t afford it. Passing on the burden to kids and family is not an option as it simply gives the govt carte blanche in passing on the cost of their greed to the masses.

    Comment by ed — November 18, 2009 @ 1:34 pm

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