{"id":114888,"date":"2020-03-13T11:23:27","date_gmt":"2020-03-13T04:23:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/property-news\/holistic-support-system-required-for-homeowners-without-direct-lift-access\/"},"modified":"2020-03-13T12:03:10","modified_gmt":"2020-03-13T05:03:10","slug":"holistic-support-system-required-for-homeowners-without-direct-lift-access","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/property-news\/holistic-support-system-required-for-homeowners-without-direct-lift-access\/","title":{"rendered":"'Holistic support system' required for homeowners without direct lift access"},"content":{"rendered":"


\nWhile the new Lift Access Housing Grant helps to offset the cost of buying a new flat, it isn\u2019t that useful for some\u00a0residents.\u00a0\u00a0
\nThe newly announced Lift Access Housing Grant by National Development Minister Lawrence Wong has received mixed reviews among HDB residents.
\nThe Lift Access Housing Grant provides up to $30,000 in housing grants to residents with medical or mobility issues who are currently living in HDB blocks that are ineligible for the Lift Upgrading Programme (LUP). The grants will help to offset the cost so that they can acquire new or resale HDB flats with direct lift access.
\nOsman Omar, a 66-year-old retiree at Jurong West, shared that while he likes to avail of the grant, he was worried of the cost of purchasing another flat given that he is retired and no longer earns an income, reported CNA.
\nOsman climbs two flights of stairs to get to the lift on the fourth floor of his block. Doing so requires some physical effort on his part since he has a leg that aches and asthma.
\nHowever, the LUP was not implemented in his block at Jurong West due to site constraints or prohibitive costs.
\n\u201cWe have been waiting many, many years (for a lift). At our age, we have to go up and go down \u2026 Sometimes if you carry things (it\u2019s also a) problem.\u201d
\nWith this, Osman believes that \u201cthe best thing is if they do upgrading\u201d.
\nMeanwhile, Yeoh Cheng Sin, 72, was \u201chappy\u201d to hear of the grants but prefers to wait if there would be an en-bloc for their flat at another Jurong West block prior to making a decision.
\nIn any case, she and her husband, who is now 73 years old, intends to wait till they are 80 before planning to relocate.
\n\u201cNow we are still okay, but in a few years, I don\u2019t know,\u201d said the retiree.
\nMr Yee, who lives on the 11th floor of the same block, said that while he was not opposed to moving, the problem was looking for a flat to move to.\u00a0
\n\u201cThe problem is \u2013 where do I move?\u201d he said, adding that he did not want to move from his larger flat to a smaller one- or two-room flat.
\n\u201cIf we can stay in our old homes, it would be best.\u201d
\nHaving direct lift access is crucial for seniors and persons with disabilities, said organisations and social workers working with such groups.
\n\u201cFor seniors who are still fit and healthy, it may not be an issue. Many seniors are still fit in their 60s and 70s. However, in the 80s and 90s, there is definitely a further decline in strength and fitness for many,\u201d explained Teo Tee Loon, Executive Director of Lakeside Family Services, which provides services to underprivileged families, youths, children and elderly within the Jurong area.
\nRelated: HDB\u2019s Home Improvement Programme (HIP):\u00a0Do you need to pay to upgrade your flat?
\n\u201cDirect lift access would therefore be very helpful to every person at some point in time, when they reach that stage of life.\u201d
\nAside from being essential during quick evacuation, a barrier-free environment also help persons with disabilities \u201cregain a sense of mobility, empowerment and self-reliance\u201d, said Abhimanyau Pal, Chief Executive of SPD, a local charity supporting persons with disabilities.
\nBut while the grant can \u201crelieve some of (the) financial burdens\u201d involved in buying a flat with lift access, he believes more could be done.
\nSome residents, for instance, may need more help in acquiring and moving to a new HDB flat like assessing the new location\u2019s accessibility or help with financial planning.
\n\u201cThis is necessary for persons who have limited resources and need help in understanding, navigating resources and decision-making,\u201d he said.
\nAnd since relocation is a \u201cdrastic change\u201d, residents often consider this as \u201ca last resort\u201d.
\n\u201cA holistic support system may therefore be required to help persons with disabilities to explore different options before deciding to move,\u201d said Pal.
\nLooking for a property in Singapore? Visit\u00a0PropertyGuru\u2019s\u00a0Listings,\u00a0Project Reviews\u00a0and\u00a0Guides.
\n\u00a0
\nVictor Kang, Digital Content Specialist at PropertyGuru, edited this story. To contact him about this or other stories, email\u00a0victorkang@propertyguru.com.sg
\n
\nSource : proppertyguru.com.sg\/Property Market
\nRead more…‘Holistic support system’ required for homeowners without direct lift access<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

While the new Lift Access Housing Grant helps to offset the cost of buying a...<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"false","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-114888","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-property-news"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p75ss1-tT2","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":93677,"url":"https:\/\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/property-news\/150-hdb-blocks-dont-have-direct-access-to-lifts\/","url_meta":{"origin":114888,"position":0},"title":"150 HDB blocks don\u2019t have direct access to lifts","date":"July 12, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"\r About 150 existing HDB blocks currently don\u2019t have direct access to lifts despite the implementation of the Lift Upgrading Programme (LUP) in 2001, said the Ministry of National Development (MND) in a parliamentary reply on Tuesday (11 July). \u201cAt the start of the programme, there were more than 5,300\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Property News"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":62553,"url":"https:\/\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/property-news\/lift-upgrading-programme-unfeasible-in-150-blocks\/","url_meta":{"origin":114888,"position":1},"title":"Lift Upgrading Programme unfeasible in 150 blocks","date":"August 2, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"\r \u00a0 Despite the various innovative solutions, the Lift Upgrading Programme (LUP) could not be implemented to 150 HDB blocks, including six blocks in Hougang, due to costs or technical constraints, revealed the Ministry of National Development in Parliament on Tuesday (1 August). Introduced in 2001, LUP aims to provide\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Property News"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":103877,"url":"https:\/\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/property-news\/20100-hdb-households-benefitted-from-proximity-housing-grant\/","url_meta":{"origin":114888,"position":2},"title":"20,100 HDB households benefitted from Proximity Housing Grant","date":"February 11, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"\r This figure is almost double the 11,000 households that enjoyed the initiative from 2015 to 2017.\u00a0 Around 20,100 households have benefited from the Proximity Housing Grant as of end-2018 since the scheme was introduced in 2015, reported Channel NewsAsia, citing data released by the Housing Board on Friday (8\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Property News"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":120222,"url":"https:\/\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/property-news\/about-4600-rental-tenants-acquired-their-first-homes-with-help-of-housing-grants\/","url_meta":{"origin":114888,"position":3},"title":"About 4,600 rental tenants acquired their first homes with help of housing grants","date":"February 8, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"\r About 4,600 rental tenants acquired their first homes with help of housing grantsIn the past five years, more than half of the 4,600 rental households purchased a three-room flat while around a quarter bought a four-room flat. The HDB support team targets to reach out to 1,000 rental households\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Property News"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/older-hdb-flats-still-in-demand.jpg?fit=820%2C410&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":103875,"url":"https:\/\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/property-news\/3500-rental-tenants-purchased-first-home-since-2013\/","url_meta":{"origin":114888,"position":4},"title":"3,500 rental tenants purchased first home since 2013","date":"February 11, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"\r These rental flat tenants were able to buy their new homes with the help of HDB housing grants. About 3,500 rental flat tenants bought their first home in the Build-to-Order (BTO) or Sale of Balance Flats (SBF) exercises since 2013, of which some 2,000 have moved into their new\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Property News"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":102140,"url":"https:\/\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/property-news\/hdb-slightly-reduces-bto-supply-for-2019\/","url_meta":{"origin":114888,"position":5},"title":"HDB slightly reduces BTO supply for 2019","date":"December 10, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"\r The BTO flat supply next year includes some 2,000 units in the new Tengah town. Source: HDB The Housing and Development Board (HDB) announced last Friday (7 Dec) that it intends to launch around 15,000 Build-To-Order (BTO) flats for the whole of 2019, down from the 15,800 units it\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Property News"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/114888"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=114888"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/114888\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=114888"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=114888"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.siamlandbank.com\/propertynews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=114888"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}