To the tune of $25 million, has been set aside for the upgrading of private estates. This means that those living in landed properties and condos will also be able to enjoy some of the priviledges that HDB home owners have come to enjoy and probably take for granted. Simple things like covered walkways, improved drainage, ramps etc are just some of the improvements we will see in older private estates.

It is a common belief that if the residents can afford to live in private estates, they would have their own vehicle, and other luxuries like taking taxi instead of public transport. This notion is flawed and inequitable.

It has been until recently with the opening of the circle line are stations now in private housing estates. Although the government has all the while been improving private housing estates, they are now leaving it up to the individual private housing committees to decide what is best. This reduces the red tape needed to get approval for work that needs to be carried out urgently.

Private estate committees can start applying for funding over the next few weeks, but the general rule will be that estates which have undergone improvements in the last five years will not be eligible.