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In Singapore, 90% of the housing stock is public housing -- including plenty of fairly upper-class developments. They public housing in a variety of sizes and s
by nkoren 8y ago
In Singapore, 90% of the housing stock is public housing -- including plenty of fairly upper-class developments. They public housing in a variety of sizes and styles, and to suit every income bracket, thus ensuring that there is no stigma associated with it. Then they use their control over the housing stock to engage in some completely overt social-engineering -- ensuring that no one neighbourhood becomes too concentrated in a single ethnic, religious, or economic bracket.
This is a very long way from how the West does things, but I've got to say that it works exceedingly well there.
(Disclaimer: not an endorsement of All Things Singapore.)
- thirteen37 8y agoTo relate it to the main article: public housing in Singapore is affordable and an investment. You can sell it and prices are somewhat market driven but with complicated taxes and limitations to prevent speculation (flipping). It's affordable because, as public housing, there are numerous subsidies, incentives, etc that the government provides to make the initial down payment and subsequent installments as easy as possible.
- puranjay 8y agoA friend who is in the Singapore market right now mentionef that his mortgage payments would be nearly the same as his rent, thanks to the incentives the government gives for home ownership
- nikanj 8y agoSingapore also has absolutely massive fines for using your home as an AirBnB. In a well-functioning market AirBnB doesn’t matter much, but when supply is artificially constrained via zoning etc, the $150-per-night income from your $1500 per month home is hard to beat.
- chii 8y ago> massive fines for using your home as an AirBnB. it still exists, and you avoid it by claiming to be a relative visiting. Just make sure you don't bring large amounts of luggage thru the front lobby, or make a nuisance in the building.
- Freak_NL 8y agoFacilitating a citizen in breaking a not unreasonable local law is not something a responsible tourist ought to consider. As a tourist you are a guest of the country you visit; behave as one. Besides, Singapore is a nation where you probably don't want to break any laws a foreigner. Abetting fraud often is a punishable offence, and you might just become part of a crack-down on illegal subletting to set an example.
- TomMarius 8y agoI agree with the visitor point. That is not an argument for implementing it at home.
- TomMarius 8y agoOh yeah, I (of former communist republic origin) have missed constantly looking over my shoulder so much...
- panic 8y agoVienna also has a significant amount of public housing: http://cityobservatory.org/housing-policy-lessons-from-vienna-part-i/ http://cityobservatory.org/housing-policy-lessons-from-vienn...