The challenge
Singapore faced severe slums and overcrowding after independence.
The case
Created in 1960 to tackle severe slums and overcrowding, Singapore's Housing & Development Board built flats at huge scale and sold them to citizens on 99-year leases, with grants and the ability to pay using mandatory retirement savings. According to HDB, 76.0% of Singapore's resident population lived in HDB flats in 2024/25, and 73.0% lived in HDB flats that had been sold to their owners. Rules on the ethnic mix of each block were used to prevent segregation.
Why it worked
The state's control of most land and a dedicated savings system made large-scale ownership possible. Leases that eventually expire and rising resale prices are now the main challenges.
Sources
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