A call for more equality in housing policy

A recent letter sent by the Housing & Development Board to a single mother appealing to buy a flat has struck a chord with many on social media.

The letter stated: “An unmarried parent is treated no different from a single person. Hence, you and your daughter do not constitute an eligible family nucleus to apply for a flat from the HDB.”

The mother and many who have seen this letter are justifiably angry. This policy denies citizens, both unmarried parents and their children, access to public housing.

It also sits uneasily with Singapore’s international obligations to protect children under the United Nations’ Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), a comprehensive charter of children’s rights, setting minimum standards that governments should meet.

Under the UNCRC, which Singapore acceded to in 1995, states must “recognise the right of every child to a standard of living adequate” for the child’s development and shall take “appropriate measures to assist parents” to implement this right.

HDB policies make it harder instead for parents to provide for their children. The HDB’s suggested alternatives — renting or staying with family/friends — are often more costly, even as the need for affordable housing may be more urgent with only one parental income.

The social pressures and uncertainty of home-sharing may also create a less favourable family environment for some children.

The UNCRC also requires states to “take all appropriate measures to ensure that the child is protected against all forms of discrimination” based on the status, activities or beliefs of the child’s parents.

By denying public housing to unmarried parents, the HDB itself is discriminating against children.

The recent National Library Board furore shows that many Singaporeans care about creating a society that includes and supports diverse families. Moreover, the Government is equally accountable to everyone, regardless of one’s family structure.

Policies must stop punishing children for their parents’ circumstances or choices.

Update: The last sentence of this letter was removed at the request of the writer. This letter was updated at Aug 4 at 3.41pm.