THE FILTERING PROCESS WITHIN PUBLIC HOUSING

Abstract

Between mid-August and mid-September of 1996, a survey was carried out on HDB upgraders and downgraders. The purpose is to identify the filtering paths of these households and their reasons for filtering. The survey also gathered data to conduct dependency test between households' profile and their filtering status. The findings of this survey show that households do not necessarily upgrade their accommodation to their immediate larger flat type. They may either participate in lateral upgrading or upgrading to much larger flat type. In contrast, downgraders tend to shift to their immediate smaller flat type. The most common reason for participating in the filtering is the desire for more housing space. However, it is also established that increased housing quantity does not necessarily lead to an improvement in housing quality. This study also reveals that a household's filtering status is dependent on several socioª economic characteristics, namely ethnic group, age group, household income, current accommodation type, years of occupancy, purchasing flat type and the decision to upgrade further.