Living in a shoebox
Singapore’s ‘Mickey Mouse’ flats are not conducive for raising a family.
A
NEW trend has arrived in land-scarce Singapore and it is coined the
“shoebox condo” – a tiny apartment just about the size of half a
badminton court.
The
Singapore government has pledged to put an
end to it but private developers have sold nearly 7,000 of these flats
that measure less than 500sq ft to young
Singaporeans desperate to buy a
condo.
They buy them either as a lifestyle choice or but more
likely for economic considerations. Property prices have spiralled out
of reach for most people.
To developers, this is a potential goldmine if they are allowed to go on, getting a bigger bang for their investments.
But
with land growing scarcer, downsizing people’s homes remains a
long-term certainty to accommodate the mass influx of foreigners.
The
trouble is that these “Mickey Mouse” homes have serious social
implication for a nation that desperately needs to get young people to
procreate more.
Shoebox condos may be ideal for renting out to foreigners but they are not the best way for the Singapore family and children.
“People
have to think hard before buying one,” advises a property agent. “If
you decide to settle down and raise a family in future, you’ll find it
difficult to do so.”
They also make for a reduced quality of life
and the government is trying to discourage the trend through persuasion
before taking action. It may, for example, impose a special tax on
these units.
So far, these baby apartments have not made an
appearance in Singapore’s public
Housing Development Board (HDB)
estates, which house 80% of the population.
HDB housing, too, has undergone some long-term reduction in size, but is relatively controlled.
According
to official statistics quoted by a local newspaper, the average size of
a five-room flat in one estate had dropped from 103sq m in 1989 to 91sq
m in 2006 – a 12% fall.
In perspective, Singapore’s family size
has shrunk even more — from 4.9 to 3.5 persons per family — during the
same period, a drop of 28%. As a consequence, officials say, each
Singaporean actually has a larger space.
National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wah said he knew of no downsizing of HDB flats during the past 15 years.
The government wants to “maintain a good quality of life” and has no plan to do so.
Home
downsizing is a sensitive issue in Singapore, given people’s increasing
unhappiness with the government’s immigration open door policy.
The two — housing woes and foreign intake — are related.
Already
Singapore, with 7,023 persons living in each sq km of space, has
overtaken
Hong Kong (6,346 persons) as the third densest-populated city
in the world, behind Macau and Monaco.
The former National
Development Minister,
Mah Bow Tan, had assured Singaporeans that the
island was big enough for a 6.5-million population.
There was no
need for a massive across-the-board change in development density, he
added. The minister was accused of under-building public housing before
he was replaced last year.
Shoebox condos are actually not a new invention. Studio apartments had long made the scene in central Singapore.
The smallest recent one measuring only 24sq m (or 258sq ft) is due for completion next year.
A
brochure lists this “Mickey Mouse” unit as consisting — believe it or
not — of a kitchen, a dining area, bathroom, master bedroom and a living
area.
Not only has the average property size in Singapore been reduced to squeeze in more homes, the buildings are being built higher.
In
central Singapore, a public residential complex known as
The
Pinnacle@Duxton has been built consisting of seven 50-storey connected
towers.
Singapore is also using more underground space. In more
parts of the city, shopping malls, train networks, civil defence
shelters and pedestrian links as well as ammunition and oil storage have
been built or planned.
Even discounting baby condos, which are a
special breed, the average size of a normal private apartment on the
island republic has been shrinking over the years.
In the 1970s, a 1,700sq ft flat was considered average; today it is a luxury.
The private property market is fast going the way of Hong Kong and Japan.
Some
30 years ago when I was a working as a journalist in the then British
colony, I was living in a 600sq ft two-roomer in the heart of Causeway
Bay.
One of my first articles was on housing. It pointed out that
the world standard was for a minimum of 55sq ft of space per person.
“Hong Kong provided 24sq ft for each of its residents – slightly bigger than the size of a coffin,” I wrote then.
The
official attitude towards baby condos between 2010 (when the government
was dealt a strong election rebuff) and this year has changed.
Then
Housing Minister Mah seemed happy with its appearance.
He said: “If people want to buy shoebox units and are prepared to pay those prices, why should we stop them?”
His Penang-born successor Khaw, however, wants to discourage the flow.
Singapore’s living density may already be affecting its image abroad. The Ireland-based
International Living magazine now ranks Singapore — one of Asia’s wealthiest states — a lowly 70th position among top places to live in.
Is
there any sign of change? Unlikely. The former top city planner, Liu
Thai Ker, has advised Singaporeans to expect “higher population
density”.
“We are near the saturation point of unbearable
congestion,” wrote one critic. “Beyond this, Singaporeans may not put up
with this kind of stressful living.”
Insight Down South By SEAH CHIANG NEE cnseah05@hotmail.com
Last
week, resident Lily Wee called police after Lim, a businessman in his
50s, shouted expletives at her when she wanted to take a durian.
Singaporeans living in shoebox, the ‘Mickey Mouse’
