All HDB flats to get elder-friendly enhancements
By Shabnam Muzammil: The Housing and Development Board (HDB) has extended the Enhancement for Active Seniors (EASE) scheme to all HDB towns to ensure the welfare and safety of elderly residents, by carrying out improvements to make homes elderly-friendly.
According to Lee Yi Shyan, Senior Minister of State for National Development, the exercise which will take effect from 15 March will benefit around 130,000 households and cost the government S$260 million.
Improvements will include slip-resistant treatment to existing floor tiles of one bathroom/toilet, ramps at the entrance to the home and grab bars in the flat.
Up to 95 percent costs will be subsidised by the government and households only need to pay between $100 and $250, depending on their flat type.
The HDB implemented EASE together with the Home Improvement Programme (HIP) in July 2012 and has received 900 applications so far which are considered on a case-by-case basis. It previously accepted direct applications from the two mature estates of Bukit Merah and Kallang/Whampoa.Image: The housing board will put ramps in place at the entrance of flats as part of its enhancement programme to help elderly residents Shabnam Muzammil, Senior Journalist at PropertyGuru, wrote this story. To contact her about this or other stories email shabnam@allproperty.com.sg Related stories:Record S$1.01m for HDB flat sold in Bishan
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