Singapore’s ‘super-aged’ society needs more housing options – and soon

BY 2030, one in four Singaporeans will be over 65 years old. The demographic trend will put Singapore in the “super-aged” category along with other developed countries such as Japan, Germany and Italy, creating immediate challenges in developing housing that suits seniors in terms of space, income and care.

A range of options exist in Singapore today, from nursing homes and assisted-living facilities to reserved public housing. But there is a gap between supply and ever-increasing demand.

Chia Hui Xiang, a researcher at the National University of Singapore’s Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, said: “In Singapore, the growing demand is for housing which meets the needs of seniors – for example, (those with) dementia, difficulties with activities of daily living, frailty – rather than the wants.”