REDEFINING THE IMPACTS OF AN AGING DEMOGRAPHICS AND GROWING EXPECTATIONS. PUBLIC HOUSING FOR ELDERLY

Abstract

This dissertation seeks to redefine the ever-changing shifts in housing needs of the population in Singapore. The average household size has fallen drastically from 5.35 in the 1970s to a mere 3.43 at present, coupled with the rising higher educational qualifications amongst the populace and late marriages, the trend is expected to persist. Public housing in the future is expected to be greater in quantity but declining in size. Policies and functions of public housing must be regularly reviewed to match the expectations of the demographics and two pertinent factors on every Singaporean’s mind would be the cost and function of the average HDB unit. Existing research on public housing aspirations of the future Singaporean elderly is relatively minimal, furthermore, any public discourse lying outside the official domains may be perceived as noise. Hence, Singapore’s overall public participation has increased gradually but still dwells in the infancy stages. In time to come, we envisage technological advancements to raise the benchmark for both the form and function of an average HDB unit as the production cost of smart technologies decreases. This research aims to collate the opinions of the layman, which may then be studied for the formulation of public housing for future generations. The area of focus is on future expectations of housing developments and policies. In addition, we will review existing policies and designs and attempt to generate meaningful suggestions for Singapore’s public housing over the next fifty years.