SINGAPORE'S PUBLIC HOUSING POLICIES & HER STATUS AS A GLOBAL CITY

Abstract

Singapore has come a long way from a fishing village to becoming a global city of today. To protect her esteemed status and carry on advancing further, she must maintain the social stability that she enjoys at the moment. This study has found that despite her success as a global city, Singapore faces the potential problem of social conflicts. The characteristics of income disparity and a multi-racial society may result in social discontentment and disagreements if not monitored constantly and tweaked appropriately. The government understands the circumstances it faces and public housing policies are but one of the ways to achieve the aim of long-lasting social peace. This dissertation aims to evaluate the effectiveness of public housing policies in promoting wealth redistribution from the rich to the average citizen and integrating the various ethnic groups in Singapore. The analysis has shown that the majority of the labour force possesses a home, which can be credited to the generous subsidies and grants available. In addition to that, they co-live in harmony in the many public housing estates dotting the landscape of Singapore. In conclusion, the current state of affairs augments Singapore's role as a global city, ensuring continual high levels of productivity of the country.