Singles in Singapore who are unable to afford their own homes often have to live the rental life and share a room with a stranger.
The Housing and Development Board (HDB) has now announced that they will trial a new arrangement for singles currently under the Public Rental Scheme.
Instead of sharing with another tenant, singles will have the option to live in their own bedrooms in a hostel-like setting under the Single Room Shared Facilities initiative.
They will also be able to share common spaces like kitchens and activity rooms.
Posting to Facebook, HDB shared that they will be hosting a trial run of a hostel-like arrangement for singles.
“HDB will be trialling a new typology that offers them their own bedroom, fitted out with basic furnishings, for greater privacy,” the board shared.
They will also share facilities such as kitchens, and activity rooms, with other tenants, allowing for companionship and mutual support.
According to Channel NewsAsia (CNA), the rental rooms will be available at the former Anderson Junior College hostel in Ang Mo Kio. The board will be partitioning the property to create 480 single rooms.
Each sample room measures about 9 sqm. They will have a bed frame, wardrobe, table, wall shelves and a small refrigerator.
Source: HDB on Facebook
However, tenants will have to purchase their own mattresses for hygiene reasons.
One floor will house 24 individuals, coming with a shared toilet, dining room and kitchen equipped with five cooking stoves.
Meanwhile, up to 12 people can share a bathroom, which will contain three or four toilet cubicles and three shower stalls.
Source: HDB on Facebook
HDB will release a tender for an operator to maintain the site and provide activities at a common activity room.
The board aims to launch applications for the rooms by end-2023.
Only Singaporean singles aged 35 and above, or Singaporeans who are orphaned or widowed and above 21, can apply for the initiative, reports TODAY.
Speaking to local media after touring the hostel, Minister for National Development (MND) Desmond Lee said the current public rental scheme requires singles to share their flats with another tenant.
This can result in occasional disputes, with some also wanting more privacy.
The new initiative will thus provide low-income singles with privacy and an avenue for social interactions.
As to why the arrangement resembled a hostel, Mr Lee said:
We’re basically taking a former student hostel. These are double rooms for two people and converted into single rooms.
“Please bear with the fact that it is not going to be the final typology,” he added. “We want to balance speed and affordability of running a pilot with the ability to test it quickly.”
In a year or two, the pilot will undergo an assessment to gauge its suitability before it can join Singapore’s current public rental scheme.
HDB will release more details on the project later.
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Featured image adapted from HDB on Facebook.
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