COMMENT | According to the United Nations, “to be adequately housed means having secure tenure - not having to worry about being evicted or having your home or lands taken away”.

Yet, this very concern may soon weigh heavily on residents of older buildings with the introduction of the proposed Urban Renewal Act (URA).

Overdevelopment, displacement risks

The proposed URA guidelines allow redevelopment with just 75 percent owner consent and use a 30-year benchmark to demolish old buildings, which could increase the risks of overdevelopment and residents’ displacement.

Imagine you bought a home and took out a 35-year mortgage. Years later, your building turns 30 and is suddenly deemed unfit for living by your city hall.