Canada’s Province of British Columbia is chasing internationally recognized social housing success to enable the province to dig out of an affordable housing crisis.
Recently, BC’s Premier David Eby named the internationally famous state of Singapore social housing model as a worthy of BC’s embrace. Singapore has built a social housing juggurnaut worthy of deep international respect — enriching both the state and its citizens through its carefully crafted social housing success.
However, expectations that British Columbia can introduce the same model for social housing development may be misguided. A current BC resident, Louisa-May Khoo, has personal experience of Singapore’s incredible housing success. She suggests that it will be will be hard for British Columbia, or any other city or state entity, to duplicate Singapore.
When City-State’s housing program began in 1985, it faced unique and enormous restraints. Singapore’s post-WWII ability to overcoming limitations are easy to admire, but not easy to emulate. Is it a workable model in British Columbia?
Unlikely.
Read more in the CBC: How Singapore’s housing model inspires B.C.’s affordability drive
