The Housing and Development Board (HDB) said Monday (26 December) that it has received about 105,000 applications from households looking to make their flats elderly-friendly through the Enhancement for Active Seniors (EASE) programme, Channel NewsAsia reported.
According to HDB, since the programme’s launch in 2012, an estimated S$30 million has been used to enhance senior citizens’ homes with features such as grab bars, slip-resistant floor tiles in toilets and wheelchair ramps.
A total of 63,000 availed of EASE along with the Home Improvement Programme (HIP), which is aimed at upgrading flats thirty years old or older that have not undergone the Main Upgrading Programme. The other 42,200 opted for EASE under the Direct Application Scheme.
HDB also revealed that it had received 200,000 applications under the HIP so far, adding that works are still in progress for 93,000 flats, while 74,000 flats have already been upgraded.
For the financial year ending March 2017, HDB expects to spend S$19 million for EASE and S$464 million for the HIP.
Nikki De Guzman, Editor at CommercialGuru, edited this story. To contact her about this or other stories email nikki@propertyguru.com.sg.
