HOUSING rules for foreign construction workers have been relaxed to ease the shortage of lodging for them.
Such workers, recently barred from renting Housing Board flats, can now stay at most dormitories converted from industrial buildings and warehouses, the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) told architects, building developers and planners two weeks ago.
Previously, the rule was that only employees who worked in these buildings were allowed to stay there.
The dormitories that can now throw open their doors are sited in industrial estates such as Kaki Bukit and Woodlands.
Dormitory operators must first get permission from the URA to convert their lodging to house workers, the authority told The Straits Times.
In the fortnight since the change in rules, the URA has received five applications.
Its spokesman said: 'How much dormitory space is generated will depend on how the private sector responds to market demand.'
There are 160,000 foreign construction workers, including Malaysians, here. Up to 50,000 more are expected to stream in when work on projects like the integrated resorts begins.
Singapore Contractors Association Limited (Scal) executive director Simon Lee, who reckons only 5 to 10 per cent of foreign construction workers stay in dormitories in industrial or warehouse developments, said he does not think easing the rule will improve the housing situation much.
He said: 'Warehouses which can be converted will have already been converted, so I don't see any sudden increase in the number of conversions.'
Noting the nearly full dorms, he said the solution is to make more land available to build affordable housing for these workers.
An operator of a warehouse-converted dormitory in the east who declined to be named agreed. He said his dorm is full.
Another operator S. Lakshmanan's company Mini Environment Service runs the Kaki Bukit Hostel, a dormitory for construction workers. He said some converted dormitory operators flout the rules and house workers from outside their development.
The HDB recently forbade flat owners from renting their flats to non-Malaysian foreign construction workers - a move believed to have been in response to residents' complaints.
Those already renting out flats or rooms to non-Malaysian construction workers have until the subletting approval expires, or Nov 6 next year, whichever is earlier, to clear them out.
A Scal survey of 230 companies housing 12,000 workers found that half of all foreign construction workers stay in on-site lodgings.
Another 11 per cent stay in temporary quarters on state-leased land, 8 per cent in factory quarters, 8 per cent in shophouses, 8 per cent in private housing, 5 per cent in HDB flats and the remaining 14 per cent in other types of housing.
Mr Lakshmanan reckons about 10 per cent stay in lodgings not approved by the URA.
A construction company manager who spoke on condition of anonymity admitted housing 20 Indian and Bangladeshi workers illegally in two shophouse units.
But he made a case for housing workers from the same company together. They were happier, and less likely to disturb the neighbours or engage in theft.
Mr Pek Lian Guan, director of Tiong Seng Contractors, who puts up his workers in purpose-built dormitories and project sites, said: 'Some companies have to put their workers in these unapproved places because of the shortage and they have no choice. If there are choices, why take the illegal path?'
arlina@sph.com.sg
| MARKET DEMAND |
MARKET DEMAND 'How much dormitory space is generated will depend on how the private sector responds to market demand.'
URA SPOKESMAN NO CHOICE 'Some companies have to put their workers in these unapproved places because of the shortage and they have no choice. If there are choices, why take the illegal path?'
MR PEK LIAN GUAN, director of Tiong Seng Contractors |
