State properties find new purpose as social hubs for non-profits, charities

At the former Kampong Eunos Community Centre at 10 Kampong Eunos, a group of young people from different socio-economic backgrounds have come together to dabble in hands-on projects in robotics and artificial intelligence.

- Elisha Tushara

Since March, non-profit organisation Vivita Singapore has converted the state-managed space, which is now called Vivistop, into a creative centre for young people and a place for the community to gather for learning. The group organises interactive programmes, workshops, camps and competitions. After ending their lease at Scape in Orchard in 2022, Mr Lee Hoi Leong, co-founder of Vivita Singapore, said they were looking for a bigger and more affordable space that could bring them closer to the community. “The space that we had in Scape was around 2,800 sq ft... At Vivistop, we have the indoor and the outdoor space to use," he said, adding that rental at commercial spaces was much higher than the rent for this state property.

Vivistop has a gross floor area of about 7,350 sq ft and a land area of 21,743 sq ft.

In support of the Forward Singapore movement - a national strategy for a more vibrant and inclusive Singapore the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) has increasingly made available state properties for the use of social and community good.

SLA manages approximately 11,000ha of state land and about 2,600 state properties. Vacant state properties not set aside for immediate development are put out for interim use across residential, commercial and social purposes.

In 2023, there were more than 150 social tenancies comprising conventional uses such as halfway houses, nursing homes and special education schools, alongside newer entrants such as social and sustainability impact hubs, like Vivita's.