'Better than living on the street': Hostel-like rental homes for singles cause stir among netizens

It's new, but is it better?

That's what some netizens are asking, after seeing photos of a new model of public rental housing for low-income singles announced by the Housing Development Board (HDB) on Monday (March 13). 

For starters, one Twitter user commented that the rooms reminded him of an army bunk. 

Class A bunk. Any 5BX?

— The Buzz Rider Channel (@TBRCOfficial) March 13, 2023

Known as the Single Room Shared Facilities (SRSF), every tenant will have their own bedroom that comes equipped with basic furnishings such as a bed frame, wardrobe, shelves and a small refrigerator. 

As its name would suggest, tenants will also have access to a shared kitchen on each level, toilets, and laundry and activity rooms. 

Other concerns about the new housing arrangement also include the size of each room, as well as the use of shared facilities. 

On the flip side, others felt that the SRSF was better than having people sleeping on the streets. 

A few also mentioned potential conflicts that may arise from sharing common amenities with others.

Despite the gripes, one said that this was a "vast improvement" from the previous public rental flats in terms of providing tenants more privacy. The Joint Singles Scheme Operator-Run flats introduced in 2021 had large holes in the room partitions.

One netizen said that it's an affordable option for some people, especially as Singapore sees rising rental prices in recent years.

This new public rental typology will be piloted at the former Anderson Junior College hostel at Ang Mo Kio Avenue 8, comprising two 11-storey blocks, said HDB in a press release on Monday. 

The 240 units in these blocks will be fully partitioned to create 480 rooms measuring about nine sq m each. 

The SRSF will be operated at the current site for a year or two before the Ministry of National Development decides if this model will be included in its range of offerings in its rental housing schemes. 

Singles will be able to apply for the SRSF at the end of this year — where the existing public rental eligibility criteria will apply — and can expect to move in by early 2024.

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To reduce waste and renovation time, some existing features of the campus facility will be retained — such as the study rooms, which will be converted into dining rooms for tenants. 

An operator will be appointed to manage the site, which entails managing tenancy matters, furnishing and maintaining the premises, as well as providing social support to the tenants. 

Visiting the site on Monday, Minister for National Development Desmond Lee said about the new typology: "We provide privacy on the one hand, but we also maximise the use of space while enabling social interaction. 

"With a social service agency here running this pilot, it provides not just the physical infrastructure and convenient spaces, but importantly it also provides social support that's needed for the residents."

ALSO READ: 'Looks more like army bunk': Netizens divided over room partition in Joint Singles Scheme Operator-Run flats

claudiatan@asiaone.com

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