SLA to manage state land within public housing estates from HDB on March 1

 FROM March 1, the public will need to turn to the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) to apply for use of state land within HDB estates for community and religious events such as night markets and Hungry Ghost Festival activities.

In a joint statement on Thursday (Jan 19), SLA and the Housing Board, which currently manages these spaces, said that the move will allow for “greater administrative and operational efficiency”.

SLA currently manages state land plots outside of public housing estates, such as empty spaces under viaducts, as well as fields near Haw Par Villa MRT station and Dover Road.

With the handover, SLA will issue the temporary occupation licences (TOLs) needed for the use of state land in public housing estates, and handle the plots’ maintenance and feedback.

TOLs are required when these spaces are used for religious and community events, as well as for uses such as community gardens.

The agencies said that HDB currently manages and maintains about 1,408 ha of state land within public housing estates and manages about 600 TOLs.

“All key terms and conditions of licences or tenancy agreements issued by HDB and prevailing as of the transfer date will remain unchanged,” said HDB and SLA, which added that “the public can be assured that the transition of the management agency will be seamless”.

Before March 1, licensees and tenants can continue to approach HDB for help on matters relating to their TOLs and day-to-day operations.

For enquiries on matters relating to the transfer, licensees and tenants can call HDB on 6490-3177, or submit a request.

From March 1, all new TOL applications for the use of vacant state land within HDB estates will be handled by SLA, and applications may be submitted via SLA’s TOL portal.

Those who wish to check if a site is state land can do so using the “LandQuery” feature, while feedback on municipal issues can continue to be submitted through the OneService App. THE STRAITS TIMES