public housing - improvement in quality of life

Public Housing – Improvement in Quality of Life

Liberal Studies Teaching Kit for Senior Secondary Curriculum

Organizer Sponsor Research Team

[Teacher notes]

Hong Kong Today

ContentsPreamble

Teaching plan i

DisclaimerCreate Hong Kong of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region provides funding support to the project only, and does not otherwise take part in the project. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in these materials/events (or by members of the project team) do not reflect the views of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.© 2012 Hong Kong Institute of Architects

Lesson 1: Public Housing – Improvement in Quality of Life

1.1 Public housing to provide affordable living

1.2 Public housing to meet population explosion

1.2.1 History of the 1950s

1.2.2 Lives of people in the 1950s

1.2.3 The Hong Kong Housing Authority

1.2.4 The Hong Kong Housing Society

1.3 Public Housing to meet changing society

1.3.1 Functional Approach

Mark I Residential Block since 1954

Mark II Residential Block since the late 1950s

1.3.2 Community Approach

Mark III Residential Block since the early 1960s

Mark IV Residential Block since the early 1960s

Mark V Residential Block since the late 1960s

Mark VI Residential Block since the late 1960s

Twin-tower Residential Block in the 1970s

1.4 The New Generation of Public Housing In Hong Kong

1.4.1 Design for Quality

Linear Block since the 1980s

Harmony style since the 1990s

Concord style since the 1990s

1.4.2 Humanistic, Functional and Cost-effective Design

Site-specific Style since the 2000s

Summary, Key words and Further Reading

Class activity: Debate on Housing Issues in Hong Kong

Appendix: Public Housing in Singapore as an Example

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Topic 02Public Housing – Improvement in Quality of Life

Major teaching areas

Teaching planLesson ContentsLesson 1 History of Public Housing in Hong Kong

• 1.1 Principles of public housing• 1.2 Needs for public housing in Hong Kong• 1.3 Building design of a public residential block• 1.4 The new generation of public housing design

Class activityDebate on public housing amongst stakeholders

• Discuss various concerns related to public housing through role play• Summarize views raised by different parties during role play as conclusion of the topic

Liberal Studies: Module 2 Hong Kong Today • Theme 1: Quality of life

• Theme 2: Rule of law and socio-political participation

Related teaching areasLiberal Studies: Module 6 Energy Technology and Environment • Theme 2: The environment and sustainable development

Interdisciplinary teaching areas

Design and Applied Technology: • Strand 1 Design and Innovation

• Strand 3 Value and Impact

Learning objectives• To understand the need for public housing in Hong Kong

• To understand the development of public housing block design as it relates to social needs and economic growth

• To learn the Government’s public housing policy

• To evaluate public housing conditions in Hong Kong

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Lesson 1 Public Housing – Improvement in Quality of Life

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Lesson 1Public Housing – Improvement in Quality of Life

1.1 Public housing to provide affordable livingPublic housing provides affordable living places for the lower to middle income portion of the population. In Hong Kong. it is mostly constructed by the Hong Kong Housing Authority for non-profit purposes and is rented at a subsidized price.

“Hong Kong’s public housing programme dates back to the 1950s. It has been addressing the housing needs of low-income families for over half a century and has contributed to the city’s social cohesion and stability.”— Hong Kong Housing Authority

q Wah Fu Estate, a public housing estate in Hong Kong, built in the 1970s.

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1.2 Public housing to meet population explosion

1.2.1 What happened in the 1940s and 1950s?1945 — WWII ended and there was a population explosion.1945-1949 — Chinese Civil War broke out. Thousands of refugees fled to Hong Kong. The population was around 0.6 million.By 1951 — The population had grown to over 2 million.1953 — Squatter fire in Shek Kip Mei made 53,000 people homeless in one night.

1.2.2 How did people live in the 1950s?Since most of the population was poor and there was not sufficient space for each family, some residents were forced to lived at squatters.

t Cha Kwo Ling Village - a squatter settlement © Raymond Wong

A squatter settlement is a kind of informal settlement that forms due to the lack of housing units. Living conditions in these settlements are poor, unhygienic and cramped. Amenities and facilities are not guaranteed. Homes are constructed by occupants rather than professionals, using steel sheets, bricks, wood, and whatever inexpensive materials occupants can find.

Suggested Answers

The Government immediately built two-storey bungalows on the site to provide temporary shelter. In 1954, projects for multi-storey resettlement construction were set up. Eight six-storey Mark I resettlement blocks were completed in Shek Kip Mei as the first generation of public housing in Hong Kong. The resettlement block initially was a solution to the immediate need for shelter after the Shek Kip Mei fire. In the 1960s, it also provided temporary housing to accommodate those who were not immediately eligible for permanent public housing.

A long-term public housing programme was also set up to provide lower and middle income families low-cost housing in self-contained flats. The low-cost housing programme was formally implemented to provide rental public housing in 1961.

1 What did the Government do to help these homeless and lower income people?

Teaching TipsMore information about vernacular architecture in Hong Kong can be found under Liberal Studies topic 01: ‘Vernacular Architecture’.

[Discussion]

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p Verbana Height in Cheung Kwan O is a public housing estate built by the Housing Society.

Teaching TipsPublic housing estates built by the Housing Society can be found in the following:• Prosperous Garden in Liberal Studies topic

05: ’Local Cultural District’.• Verbena Height in Science topic 8: ‘Video:

Urban Heat Island’

1.2.3 The Hong Kong Housing Authority

Beginning in 1954, two government organizations — the Resettlement Department and the former Housing Authority — worked together on public housing projects for nearly 20 years.

In 1973, a new Housing Authority and an unified Housing Department were established to replace the earlier fragmented groups under a new Housing Ordinance. The Housing Department become the executive arm of the Hong Kong Housing Authority, which is a statutory organisation tasked with developing and implementing a public housing programme to help the Government achieve its policy objectives for public housing.

Public housing sites are government land. The Housing Authority is exempted from the statutory process of the Buildings Ordinance for the execution of public housing projects.

Vision• To help all families in need to gain access to adequate and affordable housing

Mission• To provide affordable quality housing, management, maintenance and other housing related services

in a proactive and caring manner • To utilise public resources on a cost-effective and rational base• To execute housing policies as a competent, dedicated and performance-oriented team(Source: Housing Authority & ‘Fifty Years of Public Housing in Hong Kong’, 2003)

1.2.4 The Hong Kong Housing Society

The Hong Kong Housing Society is a non-government and non-profit housing organization established in 1948 and incorporated by ‘Hong Kong Ordinance Chapter 1059’ in 1951. The Housing Society provides complementary housing through a number of its own innovative schemes. As a partner of the Government, the Housing Society builds self-contained homes for the people in need at non-prohibitive rates.

Vision• To serve the needs of the Hong Kong community in housing and related services• To put customer, quality, talent and prudence as the core values

Mission• To provide and innovate a world-class housing solution with leadership in quality, value for money

and management(Source: Hong Kong Housing Society)

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1.3 Public Housing to meet changing societyFrom the 1950s to 1980s, there were generations of building designs for resettlement and rental residential blocks: Mark I to Mark VI, twin tower, slab block, cruciform and H block. Starting from the 1980s, rental residential blocks were built in the trident “Harmony” and “Concord” styles. Building design was further improved to provide sustainable, healthy and safe living environments in 2000.

1.3.1 Functional Approach Mark I Residential Block since 1954

Architectural layout• H-shaped residential blocks• 5 - 7 storeys• 10 – 20 m2

• In the following eight years, 21 more seven- storey blocks were built

• Example: Mei Ho House, Shek Kip Mei (currently renovated into a youth hostel)

Living conditions• No lift service — accessed by staircases on

two sides only• No individual toilet, bathrooms and kitchen

— public shower area, toilets in the bridge between two wings

Community facility• Rooftop used as school

p Typical floor plan of Mark I residential block. Bridge in the centre in Mark I residential block was used as a common space for shower and washing. There were no individual kitchens or shower areas.

© Hong Kong Housing Authority

Stairs StairsCommon

washing areas

Water outlets

Water outlets

Toilets

Shower areas

Shower areas

p Mark I Residential Block in Wong Tai Sin, with rooftop school

p H-shaped Mark I residential block model

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1 Narrow corridors were often used as cooking spaces2 Domestic unit accommodated a family of 5. There

were no partitions, and living conditions were cramped and inconvenient. The resettlement blocks provided immediate shelter to the fire victims in Shek Kip Mei. © Hong Kong Housing Authority

3 North Point Estate (demolished) was completed in 1955. It was the first low-cost public housing estate built by the former Housing Authority. It was an attempt to translate the best of contemporary London urban housing practice to Hong Kong at the time. It aimed at providing affordable rental apartments in better living conditions than the typical residential building designs of the time.

© Benjwong - Wikipedia user

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Mark II Residential Block since the late 1950s

Architectural layout• Residential blocks resemble the character ‘日‘• Improved from Mark I residential block• Additional vertical and horizontal circulation spaces • Example: Wang Tau Hom Estate, Wong Tai Sin (demolished) Living conditions• Larger common spaces for toilet, shower areas and washing areas

on the bridge• Better natural ventilation from the use of permeable wall tiles• Some flats had individual toilets and water supply Community facility• Rooftop used as school• Retail facilities to meet the basic needs of living• Limited garden space

p Mark II residential blocks resemble the character ‘日‘

Wang Tau Hom Estate, Wong Tai Sin

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p Domestic unit was similar to Mark I residential block. There were no partitions within the units, and bunk beds were very common. There was no private kitchen and cooking was done in the corridor.

Living, dining & bedroom

Cooking along access balcony

Corridor

p Typical floor plan of Mark II residential block. Circulation was improved and the number of public shower areas and toilets was increased

p Permeable wall tiles were used for better natural ventilation and lighting.

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Architectural layout• Slab/ L-shaped residential block• 7 – 10 storeys• Example: Tsz Wan Shan, Wong Tai Sin (demolished) Living conditions• Living quality was gradually improved after the implementation of

the Government Low-cost Housing Programme.• Single room with no partitions• Balconies and individual power supplies were added• Public shower areas, toilets and kitchens in the extension were

slowly replaced by individual kitchen and shower areas within the flats

Community facility• Courtyards and parks between blocks to provide communal space• Outdoor furniture, playground equipment were made of concrete

and wood

Architectural layout• Slab/ E-shaped residential block • 13 – 20 storeys• In 1965, public housing occupants reached 1,000,000.• Example: Tsz Oi Estate and Tung Tau Estate Block 23, Wong Tai Sin

(demolished) Living conditions• Lifts were installed but they did not stop on each floor• Individual toilet, shower areas and kitchen• Individual water and power supply Community facility• Sports facility were added within the estates• Schools were built in the annex block attached to the main

residential block

p Tsz Wan Shan, Wong Tai Sin © Hong Kong Housing Authority

t Tung Tau Estate Block 23, Wong Tai Sin © Hong Kong Housing Authorityq Typical domestic unit of public housing

residential block in the 1960s-1970s. There was a kitchen and shower area in each unit, with additional balcony space

Teaching TipsMore information about rooftop schools in Hong Kong can be found under Design and Applied Technology topic 07: ’History of School Design in Hong Kong’.

1.3.2 Community Approach

Mark III Residential Block since the early 1960s

Living, dining & bedroom

BalconyShower area

Kitchen

Mark IV Residential Block since the early 1960s

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Architectural layout• Slab-shaped residential block• Similar to Mark IV design• Linked 1 – 3 blocks together• Example: Sau Mau Ping (I) Estate (demolished)

Architectural layout• Similar to the earlier slab block arrangement• T-shaped residential block• Last construction of resettlement/temporary residential blocks (Shek Lei Estate block 10 and 11 areas

now the last standing temporary residential block from this era)

Living conditions• Overall amenities in the public housing estate were improved• Lifts located in the centre with staircases at the ends• Occupants were not allowed to modify any of the building design

t Sau Mau Ping (I) Estate © Hong Kong Housing Authority

t Pak Tin Estate, Shek Kip Mei © Hong Kong Housing Authority

Mark V Resettlement Block since the late 1960s

Mark VI Residential Block since the late 1960s

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Twin-tower Residential Block in the 1970s

Architectural layout• 8-shaped residential block• Lower and higher towers were linked together• Flat-facing-each-other arrangement intended to reduce crime• In 1981, public housing occupants reached 2,000,000• Example: Wah Fu Estate, Hong Kong Island South Living conditions• Lightwells were used to enhance ventilation• The design was not widely adopted• Not suitable for large families Community facility• Self-contained public estate with commercial, educational,

recreational and transportation facilities• Imported proprietary playground equipment and street furniture

were used.

p Aerial view of Wah Fu Estate

• Wah Fu Estate was completed in 1971. The buildings were built in slab-shaped and twin-tower residential block design.• It was the first public housing estate promoting self-contained community in Hong Kong• It contained a shopping arcade, schools, bus terminals and other amenities.

p Lower and higher two-tower residential block model

Arcade

Bus stop

Courtyard

p Typical floor plan of twin-tower residential blocks

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1 What were the historical events, or social and economic changes that triggered the evolution of public housing since 1954?

Suggested Answers

The architectural design of public housing blocks has been changing since 1954 because the social need for public housing was different.

In the 1950s, the immediate need was to provide shelter for Shek Kip Mei fire victims. Living quality in the residential blocks was of a lower priority.

Economy in Hong Kong gradually improved. In the 1970s, local economy flourished and society began to demand better, healthier and safer living condition. The older designs of public housing blocks are therefore superseded.

In 1988, a Comprehensive Redevelopment Programme (CRP) was launched to gradually demolish and redevelop 566 blocks built before 1973.

Linear Block since the 1980sLinear block, was a common type of public housing blocks in the 1980s. Architectural layout• Site-adaptive design• Single-loaded corridor• Standard unit sizes• Multi-rooms in each domestic unit• Self-contained Living conditions• Individual balcony, toilet and kitchen Community facility• Estate open spaces and extensive external works • Large commercial centres in a more market-oriented approach

1.4 The New Generation of Public Housing in Hong Kong

1.4.1 Design for Quality The single-room concept of the past three decades was replaced by multi-room residential units. Public housing design has become more site-specific since the late 1980s, with a focus on providing natural lighting and cross-ventilation.

p Some of the arrangements for 2 and 3 Linear blocks

[Discussion]

Teaching TipsMore information about environmental design in Hong Kong can be found under: Design and Applied Technology Topic 05 : ‘VIDEO: Sustainable Architecture’.

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Trident Block in the 1980sDouble-loaded corridor access and central circulation access gave rise to the Trident I, II, III and IV building types in the 1980s. Efficiency of site usage is increased. Flats of different blocks are no longer directly facing each other and give higher privacy to the occupants.

p Trident style, three identical arms from one central lift core

t Typical flat design in Trident block• There are no fixed partitions. Occupants

were free to create their own spatial arrangements.

• Larger living areas than the previous Mark I to Mark VI.

Bedroom

Bathroom

Kitchen

Living & dining room

Single-loaded corridor

A single-loaded corridor is an open corridor which provides one-side access to rooms and leaves another side open for natural ventilation and sunlight

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Harmony blocks in the 1990s

Architectural characteristics• Standardized design• Prefabricated building elements include staircases, kitchens, and bathrooms• Harmony Style • Unit area is larger and there are fewer flats fit on each floor• Standard unit sizes for 1-2 person, 3-4 person, 4-5 person and 5-7 person families Living conditions• Apart from standard service rooms, no partitions are fixed so occupants can arrange rooms according

to their needs• Site-specific and user-oriented design included an annex block attached to Harmony style block with

universal design flats for elderly and physically impaired people and harmony rural type for suburban locations

Community facility• Provision of community facilities according to the Hong Kong Planning Standard and Guidelines and

the demography of individual estates• Different artwork, colour schemes and features to enhance the sense of neighbourhood

t Harmony style, four identical arms from one central lift core

t Typical flat design in Harmony block

Bedroom

Bathroom

Kitchen

Living & dining room

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p Kai Tai Court, old cruciform residential blocks

p Long Ping Estate, trident residential blocks15


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Concord blocks in the 1990s

Architectural layout• Zig-zag form or cruciform shape• Initially built for the Home Ownership Scheme (HOS), but due to the

cessation of that scheme in 2003, some residential blocks were made available for public housing

• Account for environment geographical setting and orientation Living conditions• Unit area is larger than that in harmony style.

p Typical Concord residential block floor plan p The configuration of Concord residential block to allow buffer from noise source due to unit orientation

p Concord residential block, Wo Ming Court

Noise from traffic

Master bedroom

Bedroom

Living room

En suite bathroom

BathroomDining room

Kitchen

p Typical Concord residential three-bedroom flat 16


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In the first decade of the 21st century, the Hong Kong Housing Authority developed a new design strategy, adopting a modular flat and site-specific design for public customization in public rental housing to assure quality, cost effectiveness, consistency and suitability in core standards. Principles include• making the best use of valuable land resources, • substantive improvements to the built environment,• buildability,• cost effectiveness,• user-friendliness,• adopting findings from Resident Surveys.Example: Redevelopment of Upper and Lower Ngau Tau Kok Estate

(Source: Hong Kong Housing Authority)

1.4.2 Humanistic, Functional and Cost-effective Design

Site-specific Style since the 2000s

p 1-2 person flat unit module

p 2-3 person flat unit module

p 1-bedroom flat unit module

p 2-bedroom flat unit module

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p Living condition improvements: Redevelopment of Upper and Lower Ngau Tau Kok Estate

Upper Ngau Tau Kok Estate before demolition

Lower Ngau Tau Kok Estatebefore demolition

Amoy Garden

Teaching TipsMore information about sustainability in the redevelopment of Upper and Lower Ngau Tau Kok Estate can be found under Science Topic 07 ‘VIDEO: Energy-saving Approaches in Architecture’; and Topic 08 : ‘VIDEO: Urban Heat Island’; also under Design and Technology Topic 03 ‘VIDEO: Universal Design’. 18


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p Sustainable design: Micro-climate studies for the redevelopment of Upper Ngau Tau Kok Estate

p Efficient construction: Modular Flat Design for Upper Ngau Tau Kok Estate 19


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The redeveloped Upper Ngau Tau Kok Estate:1 Overall master planning2 Outdoor open space3 Universal design of flats for

elderly

1 2

3

1 Please state some pros and cons of this Modular Flat Design.

[Discussion]

Suggested Answers Pros

• Optimizing flat size and service area ratios for better living spaces and higher flat production.

• Standardizing dimensions and configurations for healthy living, comfort, flexibility and micro climate controls in ventilation, lighting and solar heat gains.

• Refining flat layouts and details, reinforcing universal design for better livability and convenience.

• Enhancing plumbing designs, drainage and electrical installations for healthy living and easy maintenance.

• Standardizing the design of structure and fabric components to enhance buildability and achieve better economies of scale.

• Focusing on the safety, privacy and daily requirements of tenants.

• Optimizing site development potential with site-specific design.

• Assuring quality, cost-effectiveness and consistency.

Cons

• Not gearing personal needs.

• Lacking identity for different estates/ blocks/ flats.

• Restrict the layout to take full advantage of the site.• Making city monotonous.• Limited variety for different family types.

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Organizer Sponsor Research Team

Key wordsHong Kong Housing AuthorityHong Kong Housing SocietySquatter settlementPublic housing estateResettlement residential blockSustainable designUniversal design

SummaryThe Housing Authority aims at providing affordable and pleasant housing to lower and middle income people. The idea of providing public housing started in the 1950s due to a population boom. Over the past decades, living quality has been gradually improved in public housing through evolving design for residential blocks.

Further reading1. Website of the Hong Kong Housing Authority

http ://w w w.housingauthor i t y.gov.hk/en/ index.html

2. Website of Hong Kong Housing Society w w w.hk hs.com

3. Website of the Hong Kong Planning and Infrastructure Exhibition Gallery http ://w w w.infrastruc turegal ler y.gov.hk/gal ler y_en/exhibit .html

4. Website of Housing & Development Board, Singapore Government http://w w w.hdb.gov.sg

5. Yeung, Yue-man, and Timothy K.Y. Wong. Fifty Years of Public Housing in Hong Kong. Hong Kong: Chinese UP for the Hong Kong Housing Authority, Hong Kong Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies, 2003.

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Class Activity: Debate on Housing Issues in Hong Kong

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Class Activity: Debate on Housing Issues in Hong KongSuggested flowAssign students to role play as follow. Referring to the government policy on public housing, three groups of stakeholders of housing issue in Hong Kong will explain their rationale and opinions on the construction of public housing and justify their suggestions.

The rest of the class will act as the jury, judging and evaluating the debate on the housing policy. The jury will comment on the points of view of different stakeholders and give suggestions on public housing policy after reviewing the pros and cons proposed by different stakeholders.

Divide the class into four groups:

Representatives of the Housing Authority (3 students)• one representing an architect

• two representing policy makers

Tenants of the PRH flats (3 students)• one representing a low-income retired person

• one representing a family with increasing household income

• one representing a family that wish to own their home

Applicants awaiting for the PRH flat allocation (3 students)• one representing a low-income retired person living in a cage home

• one representing a family of 5 living in a sub-divided unit

• one representing a person who wants to own his/her own flat but his/her income slightly exceeds the prescribed limit for PRH flat

Jury (the rest of the class)• commenting on their points of view from the three groups

of stakeholders

• suggesting what public housing policy should be made

Teaching TipsTeachers should encourage students to support their arguments with current issues in Hong Kong. Additional information can be gathered from journals, news, documentary and other reliable sources.In the Appendix, there is an introductory session on public housing policy in Singapore.

q Old Ngau Tau Kok public housing estate

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A Profile of Hong Kong’s Public Housing Policy

In 1961, the Government Low-Cost Housing Programme was implemented.

In 1976, the Home Ownership Scheme (HOS) was introduced to encourage lower-income families and Public Rental Housing (PRH) tenants to acquire their own homes. In 1978, the Private Sector Participation Scheme (PSPS) was introduced to speed up the building process for HOS.

In 1987, the Long Term Housing Strategy (LTHS) was introduced for the development of housing until 2001, aiming at• increasing private home ownership;• satisfying and shortening the waiting list for PRH flats; and • redeveloping resettlement estates and old-style housing estates.

In 1988, the Home Purchase Loan Scheme was launched to assist eligible families in acquiring home ownership in the private market.

In 1996, the Policy on Safeguarding Rational Allocation of Public Housing Resources was introduced, whereby well-off tenants would be required to pay market rents or even vacate their PRH flats.

In 1998, the Tenants Purchase Scheme (TPS) was launched to allow tenants to purchase the PRH flat they were living in at a very affordable price.

In 1999, the Buy or Rent Option was introduced to facilitate applicants on the PRH Waiting List to acquire early home ownership.

In 2002, the Housing Authority announced that it would cease the production and sale of HOS and PSPS flats from 2003 onwards, and would terminate the TPS after the launch of the Phase 6 sale.

Mission statement of the Hong Kong Housing Authority: • To provide affordable quality housing, management, maintenance and other housing-related services in a proactive and caring manner• To utilise public resources on a cost-effective and rational base• To execute housing policies as a competent, dedicated and performance-oriented team

In 2003, the Home Assistance Load Scheme was launched to replace the Home Purchase Load Scheme of the Housing Authority and the Home Starter Load Scheme of the Housing Society.

In 2004, the Home Assistance Loan Scheme was terminated.

In 2007, a new rent adjustment mechanism for PRH was established based on changes in the household income of tenants. Shek Kip Mei redevelopment project was the first public housing estate that adopted Universal Design for elderly tenants. Environmental sustainability is also beginning to be addressed.

(Source: Hong Kong Housing Authority website)

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My role is

My main concern on housing policy is

Role Points of view CommentsRepresentatives of the Housing Authority

Tenants of the PRH flats

Applicants awaiting for the PRH flat allocation

Jury

My role in making public housing policy

My comments on different roles making public housing policy

Universal design Elderly

Environment Barrier-free

Community Sustainable Design

Accessibility

Transportation

To be completed by students

To be completed by students

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Public Housing in SingaporeThe Housing & Development Board (HDB) was set up on 1 February 1960, during a housing crisis. At that time, many were living in unhygienic slums and crowded squatter settlements. Only 9 percent of Singaporeans lived in government flats.

Taking over from its predecessor, the Singapore Improvement Trust, HDB was tasked with solving the nation’s housing crisis. HDB built 21,000 flats in less than three years. By 1965, it had built 54,000 flats and within 10 years of its formation the board had successfully resolved the housing problem. Today, about 82 percent of Singaporeans live in HDB flats. Singapore’s public-housing policy is based on three important fundamentals:

Firstly, the concept of a sole agency in charge of public housing enabled more effective resource planning and allocation. This concept made it possible for HDB to secure land, raw materials and manpower for large-scale construction to optimize results and achieve economies of scale.

Secondly, a holistic approach to housing was adopted, from planning and design to land assembly and construction. The overall housing policy was viewed as a comprehensive strategy through allocation, management and maintenance.

Lastly, strong government support in the form of political and financial commitment and legislation helped put the early public housing programme on the right track to housing the nation. (Source: Housing & Development Board, 2012)

t Punggol Public Housing Estate, Singapore

Appendix: Public Housing in Singapore as an Example

[External reference]Housing & Development Board, Singapore —Public housing history and typology in Singaporehttp://www.hdb.gov.sg/fi10/fi10320p.nsf/w/AboutUsPublicHousing?OpenDocument

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public housing - improvement in quality of life

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