A 5-room HDB flat at SkyTerrace @ Dawson sold for an all-time high of $1.418 million, 99.co reported on Wednesday, July 13.
“Keeping up with the most expensive HDB flat ever sold is proving to be a challenge, as flats all over Singapore keep fighting valiantly for the title,” the article read.
Lawyer and opposition leader Lim Tean had an entirely different take, however.
“Is This Your Idea Of Public Housing?” he asked in a Facebook post.
“I have just been informed that a 5 room HDB flat at Dawson has sold for $1.418 million, making it the most expensive HDB flat ever sold.
This is another manifestation of how our public housing policy has become totally warped! Do you think this is a fair burden to place on Singaporeans and our next generation?
Do we want a strong community of Citizens or do we want to be Monte Carlo?” added Mr Lim, who heads the People’s Voice Party.
99.co noted that just two months ago, another 5-room flat, this time at City Vue @ Henderson, set the all-time high record, selling for S$1.4 million in May.
It describes the new record holder at Dawson as “a premium loft apartment on the high floor of 37 to 39. It spans 1,313 sq ft” adding that it was built in 2016 and has a remaining lease of 92 years and 10 months.
Furthermore, the article noted that the average price per square foot of 5-room units in the development increased by 43.10 per cent since the last quarter of 2019.
It added that the flat, an HDB loft penthouse unit, is no ordinary one.
“Only 26 5-room loft penthouse units out of 758 units were built in SkyTerrace @ Dawson, making these houses even more exclusive and covetable. As soon as one hits the market, buyers fall over themselves to snap it up, and they don’t mind paying a premium.”
Eighteen of such units have so far sold for more than one million dollars.
99.co pointed out that the flat’s location, its relative newness, and the fact that it’s on a mature estate also make it extraordinary.
The prices of HDB flats have been rising steadily, growing by 1.2 per cent in June after a .5 per cent increase in May.
In June as well, there were 31 HDB resale flats sold for at least S$1 million: six at Bishan, five in the Central area, four in Ang Mo Kio and four at Kallang/Whampoa.
Commenters on Mr Lim’s post also expressed concern over the rising prices of public housing.
“In the future children grown up has no choice but to stay with their parents regardless of the constraints space,” wrote one.
Another chimed in, “If this goes on some Singapore people may live in cage homes like in Hong Kong.”
/TISG
https://theindependent.sg/architect-of-modern-singapore-liu-thai-ker-is-concerned-that-public-housing-prices-are-a-business-venture/