http://www.straitstimes.com/Singapor...ry_750028.html
HDB reviewing residents' concerns over relocation
Published on Dec 30, 2011
THE Housing and Development Board (HDB) is reviewing the requests of East Coast Road residents unhappy about being relocated to a new site they say is too far from their current homes.
It told The Straits Times on Tuesday that its representatives met affected residents for a dialogue session at Siglap South Community Centre on Wednesday last week. The session was attended by about 60 residents, HDB officers and the area's Member of Parliament, Mr Charles Chong.
The HDB announced plans last month to redevelop the 48-year-old, five-storey blocks located near the junction of East Coast and Siglap roads under its Selective En Bloc Redevelopment Scheme (Sers). The four blocks of flats are home to 82 households.
The scheme involves selected older buildings being redeveloped to make the best use of land. Owners get market-value compensation and have first bite at buying new flats in the replacement project.
But the residents have complained that the replacement site at Chai Chee, about 3.2km from their current homes, is not an equivalent replacement with similar access to amenities.
In response to queries from The Straits Times, the HDB said it will 'need some time to carefully study the various requests and suggestions raised'. It added: 'We will be updating the residents again once we have completed our evaluation.'
The residents have petitioned the HDB, asking to be given priority for new flats in projects across the island. They have also asked for higher compensation, on the basis that the replacement site was not an equivalent replacement.
Mr Chong told The Straits Times that he had received many appeals by residents, which he will forward to and discuss with the HDB.
One resident, Mr Jim Cheong, 38, said some were upset that one block comprising rental tenants had been given priority allocation for buying build-to-order (BTO) or sale-of-balance flats (SBF) when they are launched, whereas the owners were offered priority only for flats at the Chai Chee project.
However, the HDB said the Sers exercise and its rental flat relocation exercise are two different programmes 'which in this case happened to be implemented at the same site, and at the same time'.
Under Sers, flat owners are guaranteed a flat at the replacement project, and have up to a year to apply for other BTO or SBF launches, although they will not receive preferential treatment if they do.
According to the HDB's figures, owners of two-room units can expect to receive an estimated $254,500 to $285,100 for their flats. The subsidised selling price of the replacement two-room flats is $154,000 to $188,000. Eligible households get an additional 20 per cent discount.
For Sers tenants, the HDB's priority is to relocate them to another rental flat. Separately, it encourages tenants to move into home ownership, and when rental tenants are affected by a relocation exercise, the HDB helps those who are ready to buy homes by giving them priority allocation to apply for BTO or SBF flats as and when they are launched.
Neither the Sers owners nor tenants in this case are guaranteed a BTO or SBF flat in any other location apart from Chai Chee if they apply to buy one.
Despite the dialogue and clarification, residents are still unhappy. They hope to prepare another petition next month, so that Mr Chong can forward their requests to the HDB.
The Chai Chee replacement blocks are slated to be completed in the third quarter of 2015.
JESSICA CHEAM & SHULI SUDDERUDDIN
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