HDB’s specially trained staff have helped 800 families so far
ABOUT 800 families who owed the Housing Board money have downgraded to smaller flats in the past year, after receiving debt-management advice from specially trained HDB staff.
In an apparent move to tackle the growing number of households in arrears, the HDB, in September last year, started deploying these housing counsellorsin its branch offices.
And one of them, Ms C. Arasi, said that patience is key when it comes to dealing with home owners with difficult cases.
The bulk of her cases are the ‘more complex’ ones, such as divorced couples who try to push responsibility for settling the loan to the other party, or jobless workers who are unable to keep up with repayments.
The majority of those in arrears are odd-job workers without a stable income or Central Provident Fund (CPF) contributions, she added.
‘Previously, the block officers in charge handled these cases but they may not have the time or skills to deal with these people,’ she said.
‘We are trained to counsel, to empathise.’ Continue reading
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