Debated in Parliament on 9 May 2022.
Mr Lim Biow Chuan asked the Minister for National Development whether the Ministry will review the criteria for the Selective En-bloc Redevelopment Scheme (SERS) to allow older flats priority for SERS due to the deteriorating condition of these flats.
The Selective En-bloc Redevelopment Scheme (SERS) was introduced in 1995 as part of our estate renewal strategy for older HDB estates. It allows us to optimise land use through the redevelopment of selected HDB precincts which have high development value.
SERS involves compulsory acquisition and is, therefore, highly selective. The identification of suitable sites and the pace of SERS require careful site-by-site evaluation of various factors, including the redevelopment potential of the site, the availability of suitable replacement sites to rehouse the flat owners involved and the Government's financial resources. While the age of the precinct is a consideration, there is no fixed age criterion to determine if a precinct is suitable for SERS.
For ageing flats that are not chosen for SERS, there are many other programmes in place for estate renewal, such as the Remaking Our Heartland (ROH) programme, Neighbourhood Renewal Programme (NRP) and Home Improvement Programme (HIP). We have also announced HIP II, which will provide a second round of upgrading for all flats when they are about 60 to 70 years old. These programmes will keep our HDB estates vibrant and the flats in good condition.
In the longer term, as our flats and estates get older, we will implement the Voluntary Early Redevelopment Scheme (VERS) to facilitate the orderly redevelopment of HDB towns and estates. This will also allow more households to benefit from redevelopment before their flat leases expire, starting from when the flats reach around age 70 or older. VERS is a complex undertaking, involving detailed long-term town planning. We are in the midst of working out the details, such as how to identify the precincts, how to pace the redevelopment over time, the specific terms of the Government's offer and how to ensure fiscal sustainability in the long run.
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