Residents' satisfaction levels down in 13 out of 17 areas of HDB living

Residents were less satisfied in several aspects of HDB living - including cleanliness, noise level and privacy within their flats - although overall levels mostly remain above 90 per cent.

- Isabelle Liew

Satisfaction levels dropped in 13 out of 17 areas compared with the previous survey in 2018, results of the latest HDB Sample Household Survey published on Nov 27 showed.

About 7,000 households and more than 1,600 single occupiers across all HDB towns and estates were surveyed in 2023 and 2024 for the latest study, which is conducted once every five years.

The survey, which asked respondents about their level of satisfaction with 20 areas of the HDB physical living environment, found that the areas with the lowest satisfaction were noise levels and cleanliness.

Satisfaction with noise levels had slid to 74 per cent in the latest survey from 75.7 per cent in 2018, while that for cleanliness fell to 76.4 per cent from 77.4 per cent.

In its report, HDB said the main reasons for dissatisfaction with noise levels were disturbances by neighbours or noise from the external environment, such as from traffic.

The reasons cited regarding cleanliness were irregular cleaning and inconsiderate behaviours such as littering and hoarding of common areas.

Professor Sing Tien Foo, provost’s chair professor of real estate at NUS Business School, said that as HDB has maintained a very high standard for public housing, residents tend to be sensitive to “soft” components that affect their daily lives, such as cleanliness and noise disturbances.

“These factors are much more difficult for HDB to plan for, and would require residents to play a bigger role in mitigating noise and to take greater responsibility for keeping their neighbourhood and the surrounding areas clean,” he said.