Public Housing in Singapore - Examining Fundamental Shifts

Abstract

Singapore’s public housing system, which has provided affordable and good quality housing for the majority of Singaporeans, has often been cited as a remarkable success. However, in recent years, it has become a bone of contention for many Singaporeans unhappy with rising housing prices and long waits for their new flats. To address public dissatisfaction, the government has been busy adjusting public housing policies, but are more fundamental reforms needed? This case examines this question by first tracing Singapore’s public housing programme from its inception till today and unpacking its core policy objectives and the key policy levers. The case then reviews the challenges that have cropped up in recent years, and the policy adjustments implemented in response. In the final section, different policy alternatives are laid out and their feasibility in Singapore’s context assessed.