The flats are set for completion in 2024 and are targeted at seniors aged 65 and above who wanted to live on their own, yet enjoy some support, care and communal activities.
Seniors who plan to live in the first assisted living flats may avail of up to 80% government subsidies for shared caregiving service, which includes dressing and showering.
Minister for Social and Family Development Masagos Zulkifli said the means-tested subsidy will be based on the type of help required and the household income, reported The Straits Times (ST).
He made the statement during a visit to the community care apartments exhibition at the HDB Hub atrium in Toa Payoh.
Located at Bukit Batok West Avenue 9, the pilot batch of community care apartments comprises about 160 units, which will be offered in February’s build-to-order (BTO) sales exercise.
The flats are set for completion in 2024 and are targeted at seniors aged 65 and above who wanted to live on their own, yet enjoy some support, care and communal activities.
Prior to the subsidy, the monthly cost of the optional shared caregiving service stands at around $950 and around $1,950 if the seniors need feeding services, said ST.
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Other add-on services that can be covered by the subsidy include meal services, social day care, home personal care as well as medical escort and transport.
These services are on top of a mandatory basic service package that have to be subscribed by all residents and paid fully in cash or partially upfront with the monthly fee throughout the lease term.
The package, which is priced between $22,000 for a 15-year lease and $59,000 for a 35-year lease, includes services such as basic health checks, 24-hour emergency monitoring and response service, simple home fixes and activities within the development’s communal spaces.
Masagos, who also serves as the Second Minister for Health, noted that the new housing type plugs the housing gap for seniors who want to live independently but still need some assistance with activities of daily living (ADL).
“Some seniors may need a little more help with ADL but may not want a maid to be living with them. We want them to have support within the community where help can be provided on a daily basis if needed,” he said.
Suggested read: HDB EASE Programme: How to Apply and How Much Does it Cost?
To apply for the assisted living flats, seniors must be aged 65 and above. They can choose a lease ranging from 15 to 35 years, in five-year increments, such that it covers the applicant as well as their spouse until the age of 95.
The flats are priced between $40,000 for a 15-year lease and $65,000 for a 35-year lease. They must be fully paid upfront with cash or Central Provident Fund (CPF) monies.
Government subsidies like the Silver Housing Bonus – which provides seniors up to $30,000 cash bonus once they sell their existing flat, with the proceeds used to top-up their CPF Retirement Account – are applicable.
Although the flats cannot be resold or rented out, owners who no longer need the units can return it to HDB for a refund on the value of the remaining lease.
ST reported that about 3,000 people visited the exhibition since it opened on 14 December at the HDB Hub atrium.
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