Our CPF insider ES, has alerted us to the statistics that the number of 1 & 2-room HDB flats increased by 32%, from 44,700 in 2007 to 59,100 in 2013.
This is the highest increase among all flat types. For example, the increase for 4 and 5-room/Executive flats was only 11 and 5 per cent, respectively.
| Does this significant shift indicate that the rich are getting richer and the poor getting poorer? | |||||||||||
| Resident Households by type of dwelling, DOS Year book 2014 | |||||||||||||||||
| 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | '13/'07 | ||||||||||
| Total | 1074.8 | 1093.1 | 1,119.60 | 1,145.90 | 1,146.20 | 1,152.00 | 1,174.50 | 1.09 | |||||||||
| 1&2 Rm | 44.7 | 43 | 49.7 | 52.3 | 52.2 | 54 | 59.1 | 1.32 | |||||||||
| 3 Rm | 221.3 | 223.2 | 226.5 | 229.6 | 233.3 | 214.5 | 223.2 | 1.01 | |||||||||
| 4 Rm | 344.6 | 349.7 | 358.8 | 365.4 | 367.5 | 375.4 | 382.4 | 1.11 | |||||||||
| 5 Rm & Exc | 280.5 | 286 | 297.4 | 293.3 | 291.1 | 293.3 | 294.3 | 1.05 | |||||||||
| Condo & App | 119.3 | 122.7 | 117.8 | 132 | 126.9 | 139.9 | 143.7 | 1.20 | |||||||||
| Landed Prop | 57.6 | 62.5 | 61.2 | 64.9 | 66.3 | 69 | 65 | 1.13 | |||||||||
| Others | 3.8 | 3.4 | 4.6 | 5.3 | 4.6 | 3.6 | 4 | 1.05 | |||||||||
In contrast, for the period from 1997 to 2007, 1 & 2-room flats declined by 18%, whilst 4-room flats increased by 25%.
What do these statistics mean? That the standard of living of Singaporeans, at least from a housing perspective, may be declining rapidly - that more people are down-grading?
| Resident Households by type of dwelling, DOS Yearbook 2008 | |||||||||||||||||
| 1997 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | '2007/'97 | ||||||||||
| 1 Rm | 25182 | 20522 | 20321 | 20142 | 20143 | 20145 | 20161 | ||||||||||
| 2 Rm | 34610 | 30568 | 29836 | 29351 | 29351 | 28715 | 28796 | ||||||||||
| 1&2 Rm | 59792 | 51090 | 50157 | 49493 | 49494 | 48860 | 48957 | 0.82 | |||||||||
| 3 Rm | 239562 | 229505 | 228600 | 227125 | 223309 | 222474 | 222693 | 0.93 | |||||||||
| 4 Rm | 267517 | 318478 | 323390 | 325794 | 329141 | 331486 | 335355 | 1.25 | |||||||||
| 5 Rm | 134051 | 199298 | 204082 | 206614 | 207633 | 207944 | 208270 | ||||||||||
| Exc | 50320 | 64899 | 65153 | 65158 | 65151 | 65148 | 65069 | ||||||||||
| 5 Rm & Exc | 184371 | 264197 | 269235 | 271772 | 272784 | 273092 | 273339 | 1.48 | |||||||||
| HUDC | 4071 | 1865 | 1865 | 1865 | 1865 | 1865 | 1865 | ||||||||||
| (Note: Trend shows upgrading to bigger flats during this period) | |||||||||||||||||
Based on these 2 periods, does it not clearly show that the lives of Singaporeans may be going downhill? Downgrading (2007 to 2013) instead of upgrading in the earlier period (1997 to 2007)?.
Do all these point to poor policies of the Government and affordability becoming a real issue, as well as the high cost of living?
S Y Lee and Leong Sze Hian