In the next few decades, a growing number of HDB flats will edge towards the end of their 99-year leases. Lease decay will soon test not only Singapore’s housing model but also its social compact.
For most of Singapore’s history, urban renewal has been a selective, top-down exercise. The Selective En bloc Redevelopment Scheme (Sers) allowed the state to acquire old flats, compensate owners, and move them into new homes with fresh leases.
Christopher Gee is deputy director (research) and senior research fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies, National University of Singapore.
This piece was first published in The Straits Times on 29 Sep 2025.
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