HDB reviewing rental scheme, requests on the rise

The Housing and Development Board (HDB) is reviewing the leasing model for the Interim Rental Housing (IRH) programme, according to TODAY.

Introduced in 2009, the IRH programme aims to help poor families find temporary lodging. These families currently live in housing blocks which have been marked for redevelopment.

EM Services and LHN Group were appointed to manage the programme.

While IRH offers units for rent “at below market rates”, the operators can decide how much to charge other tenants, including Singaporeans, students, permanent residents (PRs) and S-Pass permit-holders.

Of the 2,200 flats due for redevelopment, about 1,400 are being offered at market rental rates, while the remaining 800 have been reserved for IRH.

According to the report, the HDB “has drawn learning points from the current contracts” and more details will be revealed after the review is completed.

Meanwhile, Mountbatten MP Lim Biow Chuan said he has received “many requests from residents” looking for rental flats. Lim added that he asked the Minister for National Development (MND), Khaw Boon Wan, to consider whether current rental flats at Dakota Crescent could be used to help meet the deficit in supply.

On his Facebook page, Lim wrote, “This would mean taking back the flats from EM Services after their contract to manage these flats has expired.”

“It would also mean displacing some of the existing tenants (some Foreigners and some Singaporeans). But the priority should always be to house Singaporeans.”

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