TOWN COUNCIL ESTATE MANAGEMENT - CASE STUDY OF HONG KAH TOWN COUNCIL

Abstract

Before the recent election in August, there were 27 town councils that have been planned to replace the Area offices in the management of HDB housing estates. Each town council manages blocks within the boundary of one constituency or more which are under the jurisdiction of the elected Minister of Parliament. The introduction of town councils involves physical estate management issues, social issues and even political issues; as such, town councils may be said to have varied roles. The physical dimension is to control, manage, maintain and improve the common areas of the residential and commercial property in the housing estates of the HDB within the town. The social role is to allow the residents to participate in the day-to-day running of their estates as they decide on the kind of environment they prefer. With the citizens' participation at a local on the election of its MP and the monitoring of the running of the estate, it is in other words, a way for participatory democracy through the scaling down of the size of citizens' group. It A is better said in an explanation of the role of town councils by the Ministry of National Development, "...more than just a device to manage the HDB estates. It is an important nation-building mechanism to help Singporeans to forge stronger community spirit and identity... it would be in the interest of residents to be very careful whom they choose to be their representative in Parliament. At the same time they should also become involved in the affairs of their town." With all the town councils set up and poised to be paving in a new era of public housing in Singapore, it is thus crucial to question the effectiveness of such a Town Council concept. Though the pilot projects in 1989 had proved to be successful, the lingering doubt is whether such results may be applicable to other town councils with a different set of characteristics, needs and problems. This dissertation hopes to look into town council estate management roles to ascertain their strengths and weaknesses. This is important as it will affect the direction public housing estate management will take in the future.