WITH Singapore's greying population, the Housing Board will build more studio apartments islandwide to meet the needs of senior citizens.

Deputy Prime Minister and Home Affairs Minister Wong Kan Seng said yesterday that the HDB is expected to complete 13 projects with over 1,900 studio apartments in total over the next five years.

These projects will be in various locations, including Queenstown, Punggol and Choa Chu Kang.

Studio apartments are 35 sq m and 45 sq m flats that come with 30-year leases. They are meant for Singaporeans who are aged at least 55 years and with a monthly household income of up to $8,000.

The flats have elder-friendly features to aid mobility and independent living, such as grab bars and alert-alarm systems.

To date, 10 projects with over 1,400 studio apartments in total have been completed since the Government launched a scheme to build them in 1998.

One of the latest - the 16-storey Golden Jasmine in Bishan - marked its completion yesterday with a ceremony that Mr Wong attended.

Its 176 units are almost fully sold, at prices of between $61,000 and $106,000.

The block is the first studio apartment project to pilot a privately run seniors' service centre.

Such service centres in other studio-apartment developments are run by voluntary welfare organisations.

According to tender documents put out by the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports, the pilot centre "should be self-financing, thus, the service model is to be a balance of chargeable and non-chargeable services".

The seniors' centre at the void deck of Golden Jasmine will be run by private healthcare provider Econ Healthcare.

The centre has free and paid services, such as a communal area with free offerings such as mahjong and movie screenings, and paid services offered by physiotherapy and traditional Chinese medicine clinics.

Sales promoter Chye Siew Kee, 62, who is moving into Golden Jasmine with her 76-year-old husband, felt that bedroom space was tight.

But she added: "I like how there are many stores, coffee shops and markets nearby."

KENNY CHEE

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