Minister for National Development Lawrence Wong spoke in Parliament yesterday (May 17) announcing that the PAP government will not extend the HDB lease and reiterated that the HDB apartment will be confiscated once it’s lease is up.
The PAP Minister said the government need the land back to sell them to “our children and grandchildren”:
“We are still severely constrained by space in Singapore. If there is no more land to recycle for future public housing, then what will happen to our children and grandchildren? How will they have access to subsidised housing in the future?”
Minister Lawrence Wong also complained about that the older flats will be too expensive for maintenance, even though the maintenance fees are paid for with monthly SnCC charges. Without providing a survey finding, the PAP Minister claimed that many Singaporeans do not want their HDB lease extended:
“Another issue is that of the maintenance needed for older flats. This will be costly for residents. It should also not be assumed that everyone wants lease extensions, the issue as not a straightforward matter.”
The “4G” Minister added in his comments that he believe a 99-year lease is a “long time” and that talks about lease extension is not an immediate concern of his:
“HDB leases are for 99 years, which “is a long time. It covers two generations. The oldest Housing Board flat today is around 50 years, and that the majority have more than 60 years remaining on their leases. He stressed that lease extension is not an immediate issue and “we still have time to do this work.”