ROLE OF ELDERLY-FRIENDLY FACILITIES IN NEIGHBOURHOODS: RESIDENTIAL CHOICES AND OTHER OUTCOMES OF ELDERLY RESIDENTS

Abstract

Singapore is facing a rapidly ageing population with one in five residents expected to be aged 65 and above by 2030. The City For All Ages (CFAA) project was established in 2011 to encourage ground-up initiatives from precincts to enhance the elderly-friendliness of their environment. This dissertation evaluates CFAA initiatives, focusing on the role of elderly-friendly facilities in contributing to elderly residents’ outcomes such as residential choices, accessibility and health. First, to properly isolate the treatment effect of CFAA on housing prices, Housing & Development Board resale transaction data in 16 precincts designated as CFAA sites (treatment group) and those in their neighbouring precincts (control group) were collected. The findings from a difference-in-differences model considering intertemporal (before vs. after CFAA) and geographic (treatment vs. control) variations in CFAA provision suggest that prices after the CFAA project were marginally lower than before. To obtain further insights and complement the regression analysis, surveys of 238 elderly residents were conducted in 4 precincts to capture their perceptions on CFAA outcomes and satisfaction with their neighbourhoods. The survey results partially explain the insignificant treatment effect of CFAA by reporting that a large proportion of the elderly living in the CFAA precincts are not aware of CFAA and elderly-friendly facilities have a minimal influence on elderly’s residential choices. On the other hand, there is evidence that CFAA projects have led to ease of accessibility in neighbourhoods and created a positive impact on the health of residents living in the CFAA precincts. These findings provide important policy implications that environmental improvements provided by CFAA projects have not been substantial enough to change housing demand among elderly and soon-to-be elderly. Given seemingly positive aspects of CFAA, government efforts should focus on enhancing CFAA outcomes potentially by increasing the budget allocation from current $50,000 per precinct and/or engaging government agencies more actively rather than relying on ground-up initiatives.