Launches.sg – Three vacant Housing Board (HDB) blocks in MacPherson Lane, previously earmarked for redevelopment under the Selective En bloc Redevelopment Scheme (Sers), will be converted into temporary rental flats for families awaiting their Build-To-Order (BTO) units.
DB is refurbishing Blocks 81 to 83 MacPherson Lane, involving 307 units of two-, three-, and four-room flats. The renovation includes replacing gates, doors, and windows, along with painting and electrical rewiring. These units will be allocated under the Parenthood Provisional Housing Scheme (PPHS) until the end of 2028, when redevelopment is scheduled to begin.
The PPHS, established in 2013, provides temporary housing for BTO-awaiting families, prioritizing married couples with children or expectant parents. HDB has significantly increased PPHS supply from 800 units in 2021 to approximately 2,000 in 2024, with plans to reach 4,000 by 2025.
Eligibility for PPHS flats requires a monthly household income of $7,000 or less and an uncompleted HDB flat. HDB reports a decrease in application competition, from over 20 applicants per flat in 2021 to about three in 2024. In 2024, approximately 1,200 flats were offered, with 3,500 applications received.
"Given the limited supply of PPHS flats, we will continue to prioritize families with urgent needs. In recent exercises, all married applicants with children, including expectant parents, had a chance to select a PPHS flat," HDB stated.
This initiative follows a similar plan for 2,000 units in Tanglin Halt, also a Sers site, to be used for PPHS flats starting in the second half of 2025.
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In Jurong, HDB is also refurbishing four vacant 21-story "diamond blocks" along Yung Kuang Road. These blocks, built in the 1970s, are undergoing structural, electrical, and plumbing upgrades, including Electrical Load Upgrading Programme (ELUP) works to enhance electrical power supply from 30 to 40 amperes, targeted for completion by 2025. The ELUP, aiming to upgrade 1,500 older HDB blocks, is slated for completion by 2030.
The Jurong blocks, consisting of 456 units, previously served as interim housing and housed migrant workers during the Covid-19 pandemic before being vacated in December 2020.
Despite the vacancies, some ground-floor shops, including a bakery and clinics, remain operational, serving the surrounding community. Local MP Shawn Huang considers the refurbishment a "smart and meaningful move" to preserve the buildings' character.
Madam Chua Kee Hua, a long-time stall owner at the site, hopes the influx of new residents will revitalize the area and boost business. "There’s a lot of history at these blocks – both good and bad – so it’ll be nice if families move in here again, even if they only stay temporarily. At least it’ll be livelier and I will have more customers,” she said.