TOWN COUNCILS IN SINGAPORE IN THE PILOT STAGE

Abstract

The task of providing adequate housing and a healthy environment for the population in Singapore has been assigned to the Housing and Development Board (HDB) by the government since 1960. Over the past 27 years, public housing has sprung up throughout the country. To date, HDB has the task of managing over 557 612 flats housing about 84% of the total population in Singapore. The emphasis since 1960 has seen a transformation of HDB's objectives, namely, one of provision of basic housing needs to the present "quality" living. To this end, the government has hoped that the Town Council (TC) concept will fulfill the later task of achieving "quality" living. It is also envisaged that with participatory democracy, the community will become actively involved in improving and enhancing the environment. Three TCs have since been put on trial runs to see their efficacy. There, via the TCs, the residents can create an environment which they themselves so desire. The residents will be moved to self-help and self-determination as to their own environment and lifestyles. This study attempts to examine the workings of TC providing also a comparative study with the services rendered by the HDB.