SINGAPORE – Several firms are scrambling to find beds for hundreds of migrant workers at two Sembawang dormitories, which are set to shut in April to make way for the construction of a new housing estate.
The two dorms, Cochrane Lodge 1 and 2, have a combined capacity of 9,000 and are used by 390 employers to house their workers.
The demolition of both dorms is expected to begin in May, according to operator Vobis Enterprise. The land they occupy is being redeveloped for the new Sembawang North housing estate.
But a bed crunch at other dorms means many employers are unable to find alternative accommodation for their workers, even as the April 30 deadline draws near.
Three out of 10 employers that The Straits Times spoke to said they have not been able to do so.
The authorities had informed Vobis in early June 2024 that its tenancy for the Cochrane Lodge 1 and 2 site would not be extended beyond its current expiry date of June 29, 2025. But employers said Vobis told them about the dorms’ closure only in January and February.
An employee from Maxcon Construction and Engineering, who said Vobis had told her firm in early February about the dorms’ closure, added that she has been trying in vain for about a month to find another dorm to house its over 70 workers at Cochrane Lodge 2.
“We checked with about five dorms in the north, but they all said they were full. We are now searching for those farther away in Punggol, but two dorms there already told us they don’t have any beds for our workers,” said the employee, who added that Maxcon is on a waiting list for beds at Kranji Lodge 1, which Vobis also runs.
“We are running out of time, and it’s getting more stressful by the day,” she said.
Plans for the new Sembawang North housing area were announced in October 2024. The first Housing Board Build-To-Order project in the estate will be launched in 2025.
According to a Feb 5 report by the Dormitory Association of Singapore Limited (DASL) and Knight Frank Singapore, the average occupancy rate of purpose-built dorms here with a capacity of 1,000 or more stood at 96.7 per cent in the second half of 2024. There are 278,133 beds in such dorms, said the report.
The tight bed supply means that three of the seven employers that told ST they had secured replacement housing for their workers, said they had to find new dorms located at least 10km farther from their company office, factory or worksite than their current dorm.
This means they will incur extra costs, and it will take more time to ferry their workers.
Mr Choy W.K., managing director of painting, coating and waterproofing specialist T3 International, said he has taken up an offer from Vobis to move his 96 workers to Kranji Lodge 1.
While the new dorm is about 10km farther from his firm’s Ang Mo Kio office than Cochrane Lodge 2, where his workers currently stay, Mr Choy said he accepted the offer for “peace of mind” and considers himself fortunate to have snagged spots at the Kranji dorm because it is now full.
Two employers said they will have to split their workers into two or three separate dorms because of a lack of vacancies, worsening the logistical challenges posed by the new arrangements.
The shuttering of Cochrane Lodge 1 and 2 is one of the biggest dorm closures in recent years, and has led to a “mad rush” for bed spaces, said property agents who specialise in workers’ housing.
Mr Ricky Anpa from Eastwest Properties said over 10 employers have contacted him since the start of February to find replacement housing for their workers in the north of Singapore, but he has managed to secure a few beds in the region for only a third of them.
“The supply of dorm beds islandwide is already quite limited, and it’s even tighter in the north, so some employers will likely have to look for vacancies in less ideal locations like Choa Chu Kang, or even Tuas.”
A plumbing contractor, who declined to be named, said she might have to rent multiple condominium units for her 24 workers because the only dorms with vacancies are in Tuas, which is too far away from the firm’s worksites.
However, she said a condo unit will cost her at least $5,000 to house six to eight workers, more than 50 per cent higher than the cost for the same number of workers at Cochrane Lodge 2.
Several of the 390 employers with workers at the dorms said Vobis could have told them about the closure sooner, so that they could make rehousing plans earlier.
(from L to R) Karuppiah Nagarajan, 41 and
Samikannu Azhagarsamy, 35:
Both Construction workers from India who have lived in Cochrane Lodge 1 for six years. They will soon have to move when the dormitory closes in the coming months.
Indian construction workers Karuppiah Nagarajan (left), 41, and Samikannu Azhagarsamy, 35, have lived in Cochrane Lodge 1 in Sembawang for six years.ST PHOTO: DESMOND WEE
Employers, who mostly spoke to ST on condition of anonymity for fear of hurting their chances of getting housing with Vobis, said they were informed of the dorms’ closure in January or February.
A spokesman for the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) said it had told the operator in early June 2024 that the lease would not be extended beyond the current June 29 expiry date.
Vobis did not respond to questions on why it had waited over half a year to inform tenants after getting the notice from BCA. Instead, it said it had notified tenants “three months ahead” of the April 30 deadline to move out.
While employers said this is in line with the two months’ notice that Vobis is meant to provide, they added that they wished the operator had informed them earlier about the closure in lieu of the housing crunch.
A human resources manager at an air-conditioner servicing firm, which has yet to secure housing for its 24 workers in Cochrane Lodge 2, said she received e-mail confirmation about the closure from Vobis in early February.
This came a few days after she had written to the operator to confirm rumours among her workers that the dorm would soon shut.
“Vobis should have told us about the closure sooner so that we can start the search for new housing earlier. Instead, we were told at the last minute,” she said.
“Our workers are worried that they have to be sent back home if we don’t find housing for them, so they have started looking for dorms themselves, too.”
Vobis Enterprise, a subsidiary of Aik Chuan Construction, said both dormitories have been in operation since 2010.
In a letter dated Feb 10 seen by ST, Aik Chuan Construction managing director Ken Lim told tenants of Cochrane Lodge 2 that their tenancies would be terminated as the dorm would be demolished. He proposed that they consider relocating their workers to its other dorm, Kranji Lodge 1.
“Please be advised that room and bed availability is on a first-come, first-served basis… No acceptance shall mean that you will make arrangements to house your workers on April 30, 2025, or any date the authorities may impose,” added Mr Lim in the letter.
Some employers, who each have about 100 workers or more at Cochrane Lodge 1 and 2, said Vobis had alerted them about the closure before other tenants in early January.
A construction firm with 650 workers in both dorms said the operator had explained that they would get priority for beds at Kranji Lodge 1 because the firm has many occupants.
Vobis said in response to queries that it is currently in discussions with three dormitories regarding possible accommodation arrangements for its tenants.
The BCA spokesman said the agency had earlier extended the dorms’ lease – originally due to expire on Oct 30, 2024 – by eight months, till June 29, “to mitigate bed space tightness” in Singapore.
A spokeswoman for the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said the ministry was informed when BCA told Vobis that its lease would not be further renewed, and employers were given “sufficient notice” by the operator about the dorms’ closure.
She added that MOM is in touch with affected employers about rehousing arrangements, and will refer those in need of assistance to DASL, which will help to link them up with dorm operators with vacancies.
“Under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act (EFMA), employers are required to ensure that their workers have acceptable accommodation. Employers found in breach of the EFMA will face enforcement action,” said the spokeswoman.
Photo taken on Feb 15, 2025 . Story on recreation centres AND Story on the impending closures of Cochrane Recreation Centre and the nearby dormitories Cochrane Lodge 1 and 2.
Mr Than Zaw, 26 (second from left), playing football at Cochrane Recreation Centre on Feb 16 with other migrant workers from Myanmar who also live in Cochrane Lodge 2 in Sembawang.ST PHOTO: DESMOND WEE
Meanwhile, some workers staying at Cochrane Lodge 1 and 2 said their employers have yet to tell them about the closure or where they will be moved to, leaving them anxious.
A construction worker, who wanted to be known only as Samy, 35, said his employer has not told him that Cochrane Lodge 1 would close, adding that he heard about it from other workers at the dorm.
“I’m worried because I don’t know whether my employer has found a dorm for us yet. We just have to see what happens in April.”
Wong Yang is a journalist at The Straits Times, covering housing, property, land use and community stories.
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Thanks for sharing!