{"id":34197,"date":"2020-06-02T12:01:37","date_gmt":"2020-06-02T04:01:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.99.co\/blog\/singapore\/?p=34197"},"modified":"2022-06-13T17:25:25","modified_gmt":"2022-06-13T09:25:25","slug":"bto-flats-condo-house-foreign-workers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.99.co\/singapore\/insider\/bto-flats-condo-house-foreign-workers\/","title":{"rendered":"Brand-new flats, $402 million en bloc condo to house foreign workers on temporary basis"},"content":{"rendered":"
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To reduce the risk of spread of Covid-19, the Singapore government released a list of 36 “unused state properties” to be converted into temporary accommodation for about 25,000 foreign workers.<\/p>\n

The joint statment by the Ministry of National Development (MND) and the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) on 1 June 2020 stated that this measure is to reduce the density of the existing dormitories while new purpose-built dormitories are built to house them.<\/p>\n

The conversion of the state properties will be ready by the end of the year. Currently, foreign workers are being housed in sites such as army camps and sports halls, which soon have to be “returned to their original users,” said Minister for National Development Lawrence Wong.<\/p>\n

Majority of sites close to residential areas<\/h2>\n

Out of the 36 state properties listed for temporary foreign worker accomodation, 26 will be located within 200 metres of existing residential areas that include HDB flats, private condominiums and landed housing.<\/p>\n

Of the listed state properties that are located close to homes, 17 are former schools, including Innova Junior College in Woodlands and Chatsworth International School at Marine Parade.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Notably, the list includes a block of recently-completed HDB flats that are part of the Bedok North Woods Build-to-Order (BTO) project. With four sites, Bedok is also the town with the highest number of state properties to be converted for short-term foreign worker housing.<\/p>\n

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The block assigned to house foreign workers at Bedok North Woods.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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At Bedok North Woods, foreign workers will be housed in a block consisting of 128 one-room units and 175 units two-room units.<\/strong> The HDB had designated this block as rental flats when the project was launched in the May 2016 BTO sales exercise.<\/p>\n

The rest of Bedok North Woods consists of 357 three- and four-room flats across three blocks. Residents at these blocks have been notified of the use of the rental block for temporary foreign worker accomodation, via a notice from their Member of Parliament (MP):<\/p>\n

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A notice from the MP issued to residents of Bedok North Woods, dated 8 May 2020. Source: Facebook\/Muhammad Sufiyan<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

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High property value sites also used to house foreign workers<\/h2>\n

The list of state land properties to be converted to temporary foreign worker housing includes Chancery Court\u2014an unoccupied 136-unit condo in prime District 11 that was collectively sold to developer Far East Organization in 2018 for $401.78 million.<\/p>\n

According to a Business Times article<\/a>, Far East Organization decided against building a new condo on the site after the en bloc. Instead, it planned to monetise the the existing development by renovating and renting out the refurbished units.<\/p>\n

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An aerial view of Chancery Court. Credit: OrangeTee<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

Located in prime District 11, the Chancery Court site and the site of the former Swiss Cottage School have the highest property value amongst the state properties chosen as temporary foreign worker housing.<\/strong><\/p>\n

According to data from property portal 99.co<\/a>, rent for condos around the two sites averaged $3.70 per square foot in the past quarter\u2014working out to around $4,500 in monthly rent for a unit the size of a typical four-room HDB flat.<\/p>\n

The area is also home to high-end condos, landed homes as well as Good Class Bungalows (GCBs). In 2017, a two-storey GCB near Chancery Court was purchased as the residence for the Ambassador of Ireland for $26.5 million.<\/p>\n

Also notable is the fact that the Chancery Court site is located next to the ACS (Barker Road) secondary school, whereas the former Swiss Cottage School site is located next to Singapore Chinese Girls’ School.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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The former Swiss Cottage School at Dunearn will be used to house foreign workers.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Choa Chu Kang to host larger ‘Quick Build Dormitories’<\/h2>\n

To house a larger number of foreign workers in a single site on a short-term basis, the government will also build eight Quick Build Dormitories (QBDs) that will last for around two to three years.<\/p>\n

According to the joint-ministry release, QBDs are temporary structures that can be constructed quite quickly in a modular form with a low density, with each QBD housing about 500-1000 workers per hectare depending on site conditions.<\/p>\n

Of the eight QBDs to be built, two will be located in Choa Chu Kang (Choa Chu Kang Grove and Choa Chu Kang Way). Both sites are located close to existing HDB flats.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The eight QBDs will have a capacity of around 25,000. The living space for each foreign worker<\/a> within the QBDs will also be improved as part of a new stardard, from a minimum requirement of 4.5 square metres (sq m) per resident to 6.5 sq m per resident.<\/p>\n

Additional rules include stipulating a maximum of 10 beds per room (there was previously no such rule), no less than one set of toilet, bathroon and sink for five beds (previously 15) and a minimum of 15 sick bay beds per 1,000 bed spaces (previously just one).<\/p>\n

In total, the converted state properties and QBDs will house 60,000 foreign workers by the end of 2020. The map below shows the locations* for state properties and QBDs in Singapore:<\/p>\n