Think of the elderly

I REFER to Madam Asha Nathirmal’s Forum Online letter yesterday, ‘Scrutinise future collective sales to protect home owners’.

The Horizon Towers saga has highlighted an issue that has thus far escaped serious attention by the authorities: That is, the intense anxiety such sales arouse among elderly residents, who may suddenly find themselves being uprooted and relocated to unfamiliar places despite their objections.

The process of hunting for a new home and moving out, especially if it involves a new location, can be demanding and frustrating for the elderly. This is especially so if they had bought the previous home for retirement.

There have been instances where seniors had to move yet again after buying a new home because it had become part of another en bloc sale.

The Ministry of Law, in reviewing en bloc rules, should examine how the concerns of the elderly can be managed to alleviate their anxiety.

It could consider the feasibility of introducing a timeframe of, say, 20 years before which any en bloc sale would be disallowed unless there is 100 per cent approval from residents.

Such caveats will offer elderly residents some peace of mind and an assurance of a fairly lengthy period of living in their homes.

It will also help prospective buyers to make an informed decision about the residence.

Henry Lim