The recent statement on Monday of the Housing Development Board (HDB) says that it has received 105,000 applications that indicates a request from households that are looking-forward to make their units more elderly-friendly. The Enhance Active Seniors (EASE) programme that was launched in 2012 allows developers to make their flats more convenient for the elderly. It means equipping their units with slip-resistant floors, ramps for wheelchairs as well as grab bars to help the elderly in moving around the house.
An estimated $30 million has been spent to enhance units since it was first launched. Alongside with the Home Improvement Programme (HIP), 63,000 have taken advantage of EASE which aims to improve thirty-year old flats or older to make it more comfortable for the senior citizens. These include flats are that haven't submitted to the Main Upgrading Programme. Under the Direct Application Scheme, more than 42,000 have availed of the EASE programme.
With 74,000 flats upgraded, HDB disclosed that it had already received 200,000 applications so far. These applications are under the HIP where 93,000 flat are still under progress. HDB is expecting to reach S$19 million spending for EASE while S$464 million for HIP when the financial year ends in March 2017.
