Housing & estates

2,570 debates and bills about housing & estates

10 Sep 2012

Lift Upgrading Programme (LUP) for Blocks with Single Lift

Zainal Sapari raised concerns about HDB’s Lift Upgrading Programme for blocks with only one lift, questioning the due diligence by BCA, risk assessments for high-floor emergency rescues, and BCA’s recommendations for unforeseen evacuation scenarios.
Khaw Boon Wan clarified that BCA approves lift shaft designs and installations to ensure structural safety, and the Fire Code requires at least one operational lift in high-rise buildings during upgrading.
For blocks with a single lift, HDB works with Town Councils and lift companies to monitor performance and ensure faster fault response, while emergency evacuations rely on staircases with SCDF assistance if lifts are unavailable.

Summary written by AI

10 Sep 2012

The Minister for National Development explained that specific average waiting times for BTO flats from 2009 to 2012 are unavailable due to variables such as applicant profile, estate maturity, and project complexity, but provided average construction times for typical projects, which fell from 32 months in 2009 to 29 months thereafter.
HDB aims to shorten construction time through measures like standardized fittings, pre-cast components, and early design preparation, but may be hindered by factors like poor soil conditions or complex project designs.
The government will continue exploring further reductions in delivery time while emphasizing that safety and quality will not be compromised for time savings.

Summary written by AI

10 Sep 2012

The Bill expands the Minimum Sum Topping-Up (MSTU) Scheme to include parents-in-law and grandparents-in-law as eligible recipients and simplifies the process by merging various top-up channels into one streamlined scheme.
It refines the CPF housing refund policy to require members aged 55 and above to refund the principal amount plus interest (P+I) when selling property, ensuring equitable distribution among co-owners and aligning refunds with actual CPF usage.
A minimum age of 16 years is introduced for making CPF nominations, bringing it in line with the Employment Act, while ensuring past nominations by minors remain valid.

Summary written by AI