Good news to start the week: the building of BTOs is back on track.
Remarkable: a total of 52 BTO projects delayed by the pandemic are now done. This is approximately 55 per cent of the BTO backlog.
Even more remarkable: The project completion rate is in fact the highest for HDB in the past five years, this according to HDB CEO Tan Meng Dui in a Jan 28 press release.
Pandemic difficulties saw nearly all (over 90 per cent) of BTO flats delayed as of early 2021.
More ways, then, for people to fulfil those housing goals. And for helping couples to “do your best in the Year of the Rabbit!”.
In other words, the PAP Government has worked hard at reducing this backlog over the previous two years.
What of the remaining backlog, though?
“Over the next two years, we will continue to work hard to minimise delays of our BTO projects and press on to deliver more homes to our flat buyers, without compromising safety and quality,” further wrote Mr Tan.
The PAP Government did state last July that it would promptly clear the BTO projects delayed by the pandemic.
And following through on commitments is a Party hallmark.
Yes, even during difficult times.
The PAP works to solve housing challenges
“Everything that the construction sector could face as a challenge, it did face them,” said Minister for National Development Desmond Lee, when he took stock of the previous two years of the pandemic this past October.
Manpower and material shortages, broken supply chains and border closures were some of these sector-wide challenges.
The Government stepped in here. It rolled up its sleeves, working alongside contractors to hire workers, and share the cost of steel and concrete.
It helped contractors pay their workers and stockpile materials against future shocks.
“While we often hear of construction projects across the board that were delayed by one or even two years due to Covid, HDB has been able to keep delays to less than a year, with the exception of two BTO projects,” noted Minister Lee.
In fact, HDB is pushing out new construction technologies to shorten waiting times considerably.
BTO delays were down to about 80 per cent in 2021 as the Government worked hard and close to 50 per cent just this past October.
That is another Party hallmark — consistent, steady action on issues that matter.
100,000 BTOs over 5 years
Meanwhile, the PAP Government is launching about 23,000 BTOs this year.
Jurong West, Kallang, Tengah and Queenstown will have about 4,400 new units offered for this February’s BTO exercise.
Up to 4,800 flats will be offered in Bedok, Kallang Whampoa, Queenstown, Serangoon, and Tengah in May.
This is part of the PAP Government’s action to launch up to 100,000 BTOs from 2021 to 2025.
Rome, after all, wasn’t built in a day. Nor can any world-class city with world-class public housing like Singapore.
But there is that key mission to “provide affordable, quality housing and a great living environmental for all”.
This consistent, concrete action will get us all there.
Cover photo credit: Jiachen Lin on Unsplash
