BTO ‘Mould-Gate’: When Joy for New Homes in Singapore Decays
https://www.ricemedia.co/bto-mould-gate-when-joy-for-new-homes-in-singapore-decays/Amidst skyrocketing rentals, climbing costs of resale flats, and constantly oversubscribed BTO flats, the mould feels like another thorn in the scruffy garden of Singapore’s real estate market.
“When I saw the news recently, I was surprised that [it wasn’t just happening in] my area, but all around Sengkang and Punggol. Look, I’m not sure about other estates, but I know around Sengkang, if you take a jog or a walk along the river, you can see the damage for yourself—it’s quite terrible.”
According to the Ministry of National Development, town councils manage general Repair & Re-decoration (R&R) works, including repainting residential blocks. For multi-storey car parks, HDB manages R&R works on a seven-year cycle.
RICE asked Pasir-Ris Punggol Town Council—which handles the maintenance of Waterway Ridge and Waterway Terrace—why mould seems to affect new BTO estates regardless of whether they are near a water body. We have not received a reply at the time of publishing this story.
We reached out to Pasir Ris-Punggol and Choa Chu Kang Town council to ask what are the Town Councils’ plans in preventing the mould from recurring but have yet to receive a response at the time of publishing.