THE FUTURE OF MULTIGENERATIONAL LIVING IN SINGAPORE

Abstract

Singapore’s accelerating rate of ageing calls for a need to ensure adequate and appropriate housing for the elderly. Even though the Housing Development Board’s (HDB) 1980s introduction of multigenerational flats was unsuccessful, the recent launches of dual-key apartments by private developers were a huge success. The popularity of dual-key units has spawned renewed interest in multigenerational flats in HDB’s BTO flats too, but there is concern that buyers are merely using the bigger units for investment purposes. The main aim of this study is to determine if there is indeed a real demand for multigenerational living in Singapore and which form is the most viable. The analysis is done by taking into account the socioeconomic drivers and possible loopholes of multigenerational living. A quantitative approach was adopted in this study where data was collected through survey questionnaires involving 200 respondents. Subsequently, survey results were analysed using descriptive statistics, one-way ANOVA and binary logistic regression. The results from this study show that education level, average age of children, and physical condition of elderly parents are significant demographic factors influencing the decision to live in a multigenerational household. In general, social drivers are regarded as more important than economic drivers, and younger respondents are more inclined to renting out the multigenerational unit for rental income. Despite this result, the gap in current and preferred living arrangement indicates a genuine interest in multigenerational living. Results also show that living in close proximity is the most preferred form of multigenerational living.