We wish all our readers a happy National Day. On this 57th year of independence, we can congratulate ourselves on having one of the highest rates of home ownership in the world – at almost 90 per cent. A lot of this comes down to that uniquely Singaporean home, that we call the HDB flat. As a salute to our accomplishments as a nation, here’s a list of 57 intriguing HDB facts – one for each year of independence:
1. HDB may be one of the fastest housing initiatives the world has ever seen
The pace of our public housing may be unmatched anywhere on the planet. Consider that, in 1965, only 23 per cent of Singaporeans lived in HDB flats. By 1970, around 36 per cent of Singaporeans lived in HDB flats. But by 1980, 80 per cent of Singaporeans lived in HDB flats; and the number has since hovered around 82 per cent.
At its peak, HDB is believed to have been building an average of one HDB flat every 45 minutes....