Debated in Parliament on 4 Jan 2021.
Miss Rachel Ong asked the Minister for National Development whether there are plans for the retractable laundry rack in HDB flats to be included under the EASE (Direct Application) scheme in advance of scheduled Home Improvement Programme.
The Enhancement for Active Seniors (EASE) programme aims to improve the safety and comfort of seniors living in HDB flats. Currently, EASE offers seniors three types of improvements to their flats, namely grab bars, ramps and slip-resistant treatment to existing floor tiles of bathrooms/ toilets. The installation work is relatively light and can be typically completed within hours.
The installation of the retractable laundry rack, on the other hand, requires elaborate engineering work and support structures such as the use of gondolas to carry out work on the external façade of the flat. Therefore, it is more efficient and cost-effective, and less disruptive to all residents in the block, for such racks to be installed in all flats of the block at the same time, instead of carrying out the works as and when there is a request.
In addition, including the retractable laundry rack under EASE (Direct Application) will also result in maintenance challenges for Town Councils, as only some flats in the block will have the retractable laundry rack installed.
As such, for flats completed between 1987 and 1997, HDB will continue to progressively replace pipe socket laundry pole holders with the retractable laundry rack through the Home Improvement Programme (HIP). As there are about 230,000 eligible flats, HIP has to be carried out in batches.
In addition, there are some older flats which were previously upgraded under the Main Upgrading Programme (MUP), and are still using the pipe socket laundry pole holders. We are studying the possibility of replacing the pipe socket holders in these flats with other clothes drying rack solutions.
In the meantime, residents in flats with pipe socket laundry holders can consider other clothes drying solutions, such as indoor free-standing racks, which are easily available in the market in a range of options to suit their needs and preferences.
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