Prime Minister praises project as “model for future public housing”
LONDON: A new project features housing for the elderly, a medical centre and childcare facilities.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong lauded Kampung Admiralty as a “model for future public housing” during his National Day Message on Wednesday.
Located next to Admiralty MRT station, the 11-storey project in Woodlands features a medical centre, community garden, childcare centre, a supermarket and a hawker centre, as well as 104 HDB flats.
Nearly all units were sold when they were launched for sale by the Housing and Development Board (HDB) in July 2014. Almost half of the flats were taken-up under the Studio Apartment Priority Scheme (SAPS) and the Senior Priority Scheme (SPS), which prioritises providing housing to elderly residents who want to age in place and those who want to live near their parents or married children.
Touted as Singapore’s first integrated housing project for seniors, these units come with elder-friendly fittings like grab bars and non-slip tiles, as well as a retractable outdoor and indoor clothes drying system.
Moreover, PM Lee revealed that Kampung Admiralty is an example of what the authorities want to accomplish in terms of providing housing, education and healthcare to Singaporeans.
“When people express concern over the cost of living, these are three significant items they worry about,” he explained. Hence, the government ensures that the services it offers related to these three are not only of high quality but also affordable.
“This is how we’ve helped families to manage their cost of living, and given an extra hand to those who need it,” he noted, adding that this approach has worked well for over 50 years.
Furthermore, HDB will continue to develop other innovative housing concepts like Kampung Admiralty. For existing HDB estates, these will be maintained and enhanced.
“Though the leases still have many years to run, we should think ahead about how we can keep older estates in good living condition, and also start to redevelop them, in order to build new homes and towns for future generations,” PM Lee added.