Communal Space Allocation Per Dwelling Unit for New HDB BTO Flats
Ministry of National DevelopmentSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns Mr Kwek Hian Chuan Henry’s inquiry on whether HDB can increase communal space allocation per dwelling unit in new BTO developments to support various social services. Minister Desmond Lee explained that HDB collaborates with lead agencies to provide Social Communal Facilities based on demand projections and safeguards additional void spaces for future conversion. He noted that large facilities are often integrated into carparks or standalone buildings, while precinct pavilions and Community Living Rooms already facilitate community functions. The Minister highlighted that HDB reviews provision norms regularly alongside lead agencies and local Advisers to adapt to changing demographics and resident needs. HDB remains committed to ensuring sufficient spaces for social communal uses are provided across all new public housing developments to serve the community.
Transcript
36 Mr Kwek Hian Chuan Henry asked the Minister for National Development whether HDB can increase the communal space allocation per dwelling unit for new HDB BTOs so as to have more communal spaces in void decks and built-up spaces on level two for communal functions and services provided to residents by social organisations, such as childcare services, assisted living services and senior activity centres.
Mr Desmond Lee: HDB works closely with respective lead agencies, such as MOH, MSF, ECDA and PA, to plan and provide for Social Communal Facilities (SCF) in new public housing developments. The lead agencies will assess the demand for SCFs under their purview, taking into consideration the location of the new HDB development, population catchment, demographics and existing facilities in the vicinity, and HDB will set aside SCF spaces based on these demand projections.
Some of the SCFs are built in tandem with HDB developments while others are safeguarded as spaces for future development. Apart from providing the required SCF spaces according to the respective agencies’ needs, HDB also safeguards additional spaces within new HDB developments, which are kept as void spaces and are not built up. These spaces can be readily converted for SCF use in future should the need arise.
Beyond communal spaces in the void decks, large facilities, such as childcare centres and elder care centres, are now often integrated in multi-storey carparks or located in purpose-designed standalone community facilities buildings. HDB also actively plans for common spaces where the community can gather. Precinct pavilions have been built in new developments to provide space for community functions, such as weddings and funeral wakes. Community Living Rooms are located at the void deck of every block, furnished with seats and tables to provide spaces for residents to interact and gather.
HDB will continue to review the provision norms and work with the lead agencies and local Advisers to identify and provide sufficient spaces for social communal uses, in accordance with the changing demographics and needs of HDB residents.