New migrant-worker dorms in Singapore to be built to higher standards

NEW migrant dormitories in Singapore will have to provide for improved access to amenities such as toilets as well as a maximum occupancy rate per room, going by the new standards unveiled on Friday.

Two new purpose-built dormitories (PBDs) with a total of at least 12,500 beds were also announced, one in Kranji and the other, in Jalan Tukang in Jurong.

In a statement released by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), the Ministry of National Development (MND) and the Ministry of Health (MOH), the new standards were announced to strengthen resilience against future pandemics and enhance the liveability of these facilities.

The new standards require each room in a dormitory to house not more than 12 residents. There must also be at least one metre of space between beds and double-decker beds. Each resident should have at least 4.2 square metres of living space, up from the previous 3.5 square metres, excluding shared living facilities.

Wi-Fi will need to be provided in rooms for residents to communicate with friends and family. They were previously only required to be placed in common areas.

Each floor will be allowed to hold 240 residents, like before, but they must be able to be divided into self-contained sections of 120 residents each. This will necessitate change to the layout of communal facilities such as cooking, dining and laundry facilities.

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Toilets will also need to be en-suite and have at least one exhaust fan, with a maximum of six residents sharing one bathroom and toilet sink.

An adequate number of fans should be placed to ensure sufficient air circulation in rooms; air-conditioners in rooms should have a filter of at least MERV14 rating to reduce transmission risks.

Dormitory operators will need to provide 10 isolation beds per 1,000 bed spaces under normal circumstances, and be prepared to provide an additional 15 isolation beds per 1,000 bed spaces during pandemics. They will also need to facilitate wastewater surveillance of the dormitories.

These new standards will apply to all new dormitories, including PBDs, factory-converted dormitories, construction temporary quarters and temporary occupation licence quarters.

The ministries said that the aim of the improved standards is to reduce the transmission of infectious diseases in dormitories by reducing intermixing between residents, improving ventilation of dormitory rooms and toilets, and by facilitating the early detection and quick isolation of unwell residents.

The updated standards were reviewed and fine-tuned through the ministries' experience with Quick-Build Dormitories (QBDs), which were erected last year for better management of the Covid-19 outbreak. Feedback from employers, dormitory operators, migrant workers, non-governmental organisations and architects was also considered.

To reduce the density of existing dormitories, the government will launch two new PBD sites to be completed in the next three years. They will be built and owned by the government, with their operations managed by a dormitory operator.

Such an ownership and operating model will continue to be reviewed for subsequent new PBDs, the ministries said.

The Kranji site will have at least 10,000 beds; the Jalan Tukang one will have around 2,500 beds. They were chosen for their proximity to industrial estates, reducing the need for long commutes by workers.

The government said that it will continue monitoring the housing needs of the migrant workforce and launch new PBD sites where necessary.

The ministries said: "Given our limited land area, some dormitories may have to be located closer to residential areas. We hope that Singaporeans will continue to give their support to these workers who build and maintain our homes and public spaces."

This comes after then-Second Minister for Manpower Tan See Leng said in March that the Foreign Employees Dormitories Act (FEDA) would be reviewed to cover all dormitories, regardless of size. The ministries said that the improved standards will be incorporated into the FEDA licence conditions and other relevant legislation and guidelines.