The Long Wait
Boy am I glad the days of visiting for CNY is over! This year was pretty much the same as before, just that my sis was not in Singapore to celebrate it. We visited the same relatives and heard almost the same conversation topics *rolls eyes*. Some visits were a little more unbearable than the others, as it was really just mindless sitting around, waiting for my parents to say "Let's go". It did not help that the sun was scorching hot during those few days, leaving us sticky, uncomfortable, and drowsy. Well, I suppose it beats the rain!
However, it was not total boredom during the long festive weekend. Pete and I managed to visit the new Terminal 3 on the first day of CNY, as we sent his parents off to Japan for their hols. The new terminal is huge and spacious, making T2 pale in comparison. All the more reason to visit the airport once in a while. I love going to the airport. I associate it with hols and happy times. I can imagine Pete frowning as he is reading this now ha ha ;) I guess not everyone associates the airport with such positive feelings...
Anyway, it is back to work now for most of us, back to life...back to reality. The sad reality for Pete and me now is us getting lost in this massive "lucky draw box" for HDB flats. Flats in the mature estates were just being released for the balloting exercise 3 days ago. A total of 278 flats, with 6779 applications at the moment. It is depressing.
This is our 4th try with the balloting exercises. 2 are pending queue numbers to be assigned, and for the other 2, we have gotten queue numbers that are in the 3rd and 4th thousand, vs a release of flats that were, on the average, less than 400 units for each of the balloting exercise.
It seems to me that the wait for a new flat is a futile one. At the same time, it is also depressing that we will be paying so much for a really tiny space.
I'm not sure if the balloting exercise is the best way for us all to get a new flat. It seems to me it is just one big lucky draw each time, and whether one gets a good queue number at all, is kind of dependent on luck. Is this fair, or actually, just unfair, I really wonder... If we are always down on our luck, I suppose we will never get one, because there is no saying that everyone will have a maximum waiting time, or anything like that. One can just go on waiting...and waiting...and waiting...futile...wait..
Are there not enough new flats in Singapore? Is that why we have to go through the balloting exercise to ensure a fair (or unfair) system? If there are no sufficient new flats, I know they are tackling this with the various Build-To-Order exercises. But... these have to be balloted as well...so, it is just down to the "lucky draw" method again, isn't it?
Are we also competing with the new citizens and permanent residents granted their new status daily for our short supply of flats, because Singapore is hoping to bring in more foreigners? Is the country no longer able to support her own citizens, because we are bringing in more foreigners?
Bringing this issue up to the government, and they will suggest the options of staying with parents, or purchasing a resale flat. I think these options are easier said than done. The resale flats are rather unaffordable, and I'm sure this is why there is also a surge in the demand for new flats. Staying with parents, is really, really easier said than done. I am not even talking about human conflicts when staying together that most people are trying to avoid, but there is also the basic consideration of whether there is room over at the parents'. I'm not sure if these suggestions are given because the parties themselves do not face such problems, and hence, did not consider these factors.
I'm not sure if it is realised that this is a social problem in Singapore. I think a GP essay can be written on this topic by now. With this problem of having to wait futilely for their home, many couples are delaying their marriage, and this in turn will postpone any childbirth plans, if any. I foresee some may even end up abandoning childbirth plans when age catches up by the time they are well settled in their own home. A social problem for this ageing population of ours, no?
Apologies for the ranting, but I think it has been building up ha ha. We do not know if there will ever be a solution to this, and we feel rather helpless too. I guess there is nothing much we can do at this moment, but...WAIT.
However, it was not total boredom during the long festive weekend. Pete and I managed to visit the new Terminal 3 on the first day of CNY, as we sent his parents off to Japan for their hols. The new terminal is huge and spacious, making T2 pale in comparison. All the more reason to visit the airport once in a while. I love going to the airport. I associate it with hols and happy times. I can imagine Pete frowning as he is reading this now ha ha ;) I guess not everyone associates the airport with such positive feelings...
Anyway, it is back to work now for most of us, back to life...back to reality. The sad reality for Pete and me now is us getting lost in this massive "lucky draw box" for HDB flats. Flats in the mature estates were just being released for the balloting exercise 3 days ago. A total of 278 flats, with 6779 applications at the moment. It is depressing.
This is our 4th try with the balloting exercises. 2 are pending queue numbers to be assigned, and for the other 2, we have gotten queue numbers that are in the 3rd and 4th thousand, vs a release of flats that were, on the average, less than 400 units for each of the balloting exercise.
It seems to me that the wait for a new flat is a futile one. At the same time, it is also depressing that we will be paying so much for a really tiny space.
I'm not sure if the balloting exercise is the best way for us all to get a new flat. It seems to me it is just one big lucky draw each time, and whether one gets a good queue number at all, is kind of dependent on luck. Is this fair, or actually, just unfair, I really wonder... If we are always down on our luck, I suppose we will never get one, because there is no saying that everyone will have a maximum waiting time, or anything like that. One can just go on waiting...and waiting...and waiting...futile...wait..
Are there not enough new flats in Singapore? Is that why we have to go through the balloting exercise to ensure a fair (or unfair) system? If there are no sufficient new flats, I know they are tackling this with the various Build-To-Order exercises. But... these have to be balloted as well...so, it is just down to the "lucky draw" method again, isn't it?
Are we also competing with the new citizens and permanent residents granted their new status daily for our short supply of flats, because Singapore is hoping to bring in more foreigners? Is the country no longer able to support her own citizens, because we are bringing in more foreigners?
Bringing this issue up to the government, and they will suggest the options of staying with parents, or purchasing a resale flat. I think these options are easier said than done. The resale flats are rather unaffordable, and I'm sure this is why there is also a surge in the demand for new flats. Staying with parents, is really, really easier said than done. I am not even talking about human conflicts when staying together that most people are trying to avoid, but there is also the basic consideration of whether there is room over at the parents'. I'm not sure if these suggestions are given because the parties themselves do not face such problems, and hence, did not consider these factors.
I'm not sure if it is realised that this is a social problem in Singapore. I think a GP essay can be written on this topic by now. With this problem of having to wait futilely for their home, many couples are delaying their marriage, and this in turn will postpone any childbirth plans, if any. I foresee some may even end up abandoning childbirth plans when age catches up by the time they are well settled in their own home. A social problem for this ageing population of ours, no?
Apologies for the ranting, but I think it has been building up ha ha. We do not know if there will ever be a solution to this, and we feel rather helpless too. I guess there is nothing much we can do at this moment, but...WAIT.
posted by Mi at
10:59 AM
1 Comments:
u're much luckier than me. at least when u're married, u don't have to visit many places since pete's parents don't visit so much. u can always give the excuse that when u're married, dun have to follow your parents to visit anymore (or can be more selective!)
mine is the opposite lor. CNY is even more stressful than b4!
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