HDB'S HOUSING POLICIES FOR MATURE VS NON-MATURE ESTATES AND ITS POSSIBLE EFFECTS ON GENTRIFICATION

Abstract

HDB housing policy in the past two decades have created a unique situation for the Singapore housing market. The Build-to-Order scheme, rising prices followed by the introduction of CPF grants for new home buyers and most importantly the dichotomy of Mature and Non-Mature Towns/Estates have essentially segmented the supply of HDB flats to match varying income levels. The net effect of the policies funnel lower-income households to Non-Mature Estates, while high prices make homes in Mature Estates accessible only by the affluent.

From a review of the current body of works regarding gentrification, it would appear that the current housing climate in Singapore aids the gentrifying of Mature Towns/Estates. This dissertation seeks to analyse readily available population demographic and income data in order to identify signs of gentrification occurring in 4 Mature Estates in Singapore which have seen flats launched at high prices in recent years: Ang Mo Kio, Clementi, Queenstown and Toa Payoh.

The study then concludes in a rejection of the null hypothesis as the data does not show significant signs of neighbourhood class change or displacement of lower-income households. However, it serves as a starting point for investigating the ever-rampant phenomenon of gentrification in this city-state.