Government Intervention and Impact on the Housing Market in Singapore

Wong, Grace; Zhang, Xing Quan

doi:10.1080/15339114.2003.9678374

Cited by 2 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…This article asserts that the TMHD and its outlier success in Korea has relevant applications to the developing world, despite whatever policy inconsistencies may exist in comparison (Sengupta, 2018). Researchers have analysed other outlier cases, such as the million homes program in Sweden and Singapore’s public housing (Lind et al , 2016; Yuen et al , 2006; Wong and Zhang, 2003; Siew Eng and Kong, 1997). This article builds on these case studies as well as other well-developed comparative housing literature in areas of policy and finance, where analysis of specific housing market features can benefit other housing sectors regardless of their stage of development (Lam and Feather, 2016; Jacobs et al , 2010; Burke and Hulse, 2010; Kemeny, 2002).…”

Section: Case Study Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Two Million Housing Drive in Korea

Feather¹

2019

IJHMA

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Purpose Emerging states confront staggering shortages in adequate housing stock. In response, governments have sought various supply-based solutions to mitigate growing housing deficits. While many of these mass housing efforts have not produced the desired outcome, the Republic of Korea’s Two Million Housing Drive (TMHD) was a comparatively successful intervention with its implementation from 1988 to 1992. The five-year initiative exceeded its objective with the construction of over 2.1 million units – of which two-thirds were built by the private sector. The purpose of this study is to analyse Korea’s relatively effective supply-based affordable housing approach and then extrapolate best practices and lessons learned with applications for real estate markets in the developing world. Comparative understanding of the TMHD can help promote greater access to adequate housing in the developing world, especially for the many who continue to live in impoverished conditions. Design/methodology/approach The research uses content-based and quantitative methods to analyze the case of the TMHD in Korea toward informing improvements in corresponding supply-based housing policies and programs in developing states. Findings While there were challenges with the TMHD, the program repositioned Korea’s urban housing market with greater access to affordable housing in cities for the lower-income and vulnerable. The TMHD enabled the subsequent effectiveness of demand-based housing policies. Research limitations/implications There are research limitations in fully understanding the complex relationships between mass housing programs, economic growth and government policies. The abductive reasoning used in this case study enables in-depth analysis of the TMHD with generalizable inferences for middle-range theories with applications for emerging markets. Practical implications The experience of the TMHD can promote policy harmonization by helping optimize corresponding mass housing efforts in the developing world with the potential to similarly close quantitative housing deficits and expand access to adequate housing for lower-income and vulnerable households. Social implications Deeper understanding of the TMHD can lead to reforms of other mass housing initiatives in emerging markets to make adequate housing more accessible and economical for the benefit of underserved segments of society. Originality/value The Korean experience with the TMHD can inform the optimization of other similar large-scale policies and programs seeking to sustainably overcome shortfalls in adequate housing that have become all too common in the developing world.

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Section: Case Study Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Two Million Housing Drive in Korea

Feather¹

2019

IJHMA

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“…To reduce the country’s birth rate, the government introduced legislation that encouraged virtually cost-free abortions, sterilization and fertility disincentives. Framed as a survival strategy, the ‘Keep Your Family Small’ and ‘Stop at Two’ campaigns – introduced in 1968 and 1971, respectively – discouraged families from having more than two children (Tan, 2001; Wong and Yeoh, 2003). A web of anti-natalist policies included tax breaks for families with up to two children, and priority school registration and preferential allocation of government housing for smaller families.…”

Section: Reproductive Rights and The Rhetoric Of Security In Singaporementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Among these, the Graduate Mothers Scheme was the most notorious. Announced in 1984, it afforded tax breaks and priority registrations at primary schools to university-educated women who gave birth to three or more children (Wong and Yeoh, 2003).…”

Section: Reproductive Rights and The Rhetoric Of Security In Singaporementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Newer measures, however, were proposed and implemented soon after to tackle these issues. These attempted to engender the same sense of urgency, but, described as ‘cautiously pro-natalist’, were marketed in markedly different ways (Graham, 1995: 223; see also Wong and Yeoh, 2003). In securitizing the same issue, Lee Kuan Yew’s soon-to-be successor Goh Chok Tong advanced more palatable concerns, like those regarding the ability of the country to defend itself.I know this is a longer-term problem, but if we do not address it now, it can only become more serious.…”

Section: Reproductive Rights and The Rhetoric Of Security In Singaporementioning

confidence: 99%

“…In March 1987, a New Population Policy (NPP) was introduced, accompanied by a fresh tagline ‘Have Three or More Children If You Can Afford It’. This new initiative was notable in its attempt to steer clear of the elitism of Lee Kuan Yew’s earlier initiative, as it was qualified by the criterion of affordability and lacked the emphasis on education levels (Wong and Yeoh, 2003).…”

Section: Reproductive Rights and The Rhetoric Of Security In Singaporementioning

confidence: 99%

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Audience agency in a curious instance of failed securitization: Public resistance to the Singapore government’s eugenics program

Krishnan

2024

Security Dialogue

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Securitization theory posits that security threats are socially constructed. Yet, how audiences influence the failure and success of securitization attempts is still not well understood. In this article, I argue that audiences bring their normative perspectives to bear upon the interpretation of securitization attempts. This theoretical addendum, I hold, permits a fuller appreciation of how audiences express their agency when receiving securitization attempts. I examine the Singaporean context, where the discursive backdrop favours the construction of security threats. While the Singaporean government has successfully securitized many issues, Lee Kuan Yew’s attempt to securitize the country’s declining birth rates failed dramatically. This occurred, I contend, as the Singaporean public was deeply offended by the normative premises of Lee’s eugenicist argument, thus refusing to engage with the issue on the government’s terms. These objections were only fuelled by the eugenics programme the government later introduced, ultimately causing the government to discontinue its pronatalist policies and significantly revise its rhetoric. This article develops the understanding of how securitization unfolds by expanding on the conceptualization of audience behaviour. By examining Singapore, which has failed to inspire many analyses of securitization, it also diversifies securitization theory’s empirical reach, highlighting its intelligibility within non-democratic contexts.

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Government Intervention and Impact on the Housing Market in Singapore

Cited by 2 publications

References 8 publications

The Two Million Housing Drive in Korea

The Two Million Housing Drive in Korea

Audience agency in a curious instance of failed securitization: Public resistance to the Singapore government’s eugenics program

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