http://www.straitstimes.com/Think/St...ry_434856.html
Sep 27, 2009 Sunday
Widow can't find affordable home
I refer to last Sunday's article, 'Married, but no place of their own'.
This problem has plagued many Singaporeans, but what is being done about it?
Young people are encouraged to get married and start a family, but where do they live?
When I was widowed, I was servicing my housing loan from my Central Provident Fund Ordinary Account.
However, when I reached 55, the amount from this account was transferred to my Retirement Account. Hence, I had to sell my house to downgrade to an HDB flat.
The Housing Board said I had to wait 30 months before I could buy directly from the HDB. This was a condition for former private property owners.
This period applied not only to me, but also to my single daughter if she wanted to buy a flat with me.
All our letters of appeal to the HDB and visits to Members of Parliament did not help.
Now that the 30-month period is over, I am back to square one, and the ordeal is not yet over.
There is no HDB flat available. Balloting is a lucky draw - you can ballot for years, but if you do not get a flat, you have to try again.
Even the build-to-order scheme has thousands in the queue.
Like the married couple in the article, I cannot fork out the cash.
Could the HDB tell us what is being done to help people in my situation?
Kordial Kor (Ms)
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