Debated in Parliament on 7 Nov 2022.
Ms Hany Soh asked the Minister for National Development (a) whether the external retractable clothes drying rack can be made an optional component of the Home Improvement Programme (HIP) instead of an essential component; and (b) whether HDB will explore other alternatives, such as indoor drying rack, for HIP to better benefit seniors with mobility issues and those residing on ground floor units with limited space to dry their laundry.
The replacement of clothes drying racks is offered as an Essential Improvement under the Home Improvement Programme and is fully subsidised for Singapore Citizen households. The new external retractable clothes drying rack (ER-CDR) enhances the safety of residents by mitigating the risk of them falling from height when putting out bamboo poles laden with wet and heavy laundry. Since 2000, there have been more than 100 cases where bamboo poles have fallen from height. Over the same period, six people had died and four injured after they fell out of their windows while trying to put out bamboo poles.
The replacement of pipe sockets with the ER-CDR also involves an external fixture to HDB flats that is necessary for safety reasons. It makes sense to carry out the works across the board in one exercise. Therefore, ER-CDR is deemed an essential rather than optional component.
Residents looking for alternatives, such as an indoor clothes-drying rack, can purchase one from suppliers on the market, who will also arrange for installation. Residents in ground-floor flats with existing pipe sockets will be given the option to choose whether to install the ER-CDR as the use of bamboo poles and pipe sockets on the ground floor does not involve the hanging of laundry from height, and thus does not pose a risk to the residents themselves or to passers-by on the ground floor.
PAPERCUTS