In 1947, the British Housing Committee Report noted Singapore had one of the world’s worst slums - “a disgrace to a civilised community” and the average person-per-building density was 18.2 by 1947.
HDB is now widely-considered public housing at its best with more than 80% of Singapore’s population living in HDB, across 23 towns and 3 estates.
Central
The Central Area in Singapore is made up of areas such as Marina East, Marina South, Newton, Orchard, Outram, River Valley and Rochor to name a few. Within the area, there is an estimated 34,400 HDB residents and 12,609 flats (as of 31 March 2014).
District 3
District 3 is made up of Bukit Merah and Queenstown. Within the area, there is an estimated 229,100 HDB residents and 82,431 flats (as of 31 March 2015).
Clementi
Located between Jurong West and Dover, Clementi town is home to an estimated HDB resident population of 72,500 within 25,480 flats (as of 31 March 2015).
Bukit Timah
Bukit Timah is home to an estimated HDB resident population of 8,800 and 2,423 flats (as of 31 March 2014).
District 12
District 12 is made up of Toa Payoh, Serangoon and Kallang / Whampoa. Within the area, there is an estimated 286,005 HDB residents and 93,472 flats (as of 31 March 2015).
Geylang
Geylang is home to an estimated 91,900 HDB residents and 29,256 flats (as of 31 March 2015).
Marine Parade
Marine Parade is the first housing estate built on reclaimed land and it is home to about 23,300 HDB residents and 7,863 flats (as of 31 March 2014).
Bedok
Bedok has an estimated HDB resident population of 204,300 and 60,115 flats within the town (as of 31 March 2015).
District 18
District 18 is made up of Tampines and Pasir Ris. Within the area, there is an estimated 350,100 HDB residents and 95,806 flats (as of 31 March 2015).
District 19
District 19 is made up of Hougang, Punggol and Sengkang. Within the area, there is an estimated 465,800 HDB residents and 146,658 flats (as of 31 March 2015). These numbers are set to rise over the next few years as more developments take root into Punggol.
District 20
District 20 is made up of Ang Mo Kio and Bishan. Within the area, there is an estimated 215,500 HDB residents and 68,833 flats (as of 31 March 2015).
District 22
District 22 is made up of Jurong East and Jurong West. Within the area, there is an estimated 340,300 HDB residents and 95,134 flats (as of 31 March 2015).
District 23
District 23 is made up of Bukit Batok, Bukit Panjang and Choa Chu Kan. Within the area, there is an estimated 249,200 HDB residents and 109,131 flats (as of 31 March 2015).
Woodlands
Woodlands is home to an estimated HDB Resident population of 243,100 and there are 62,675 HDB flats in the town (as of 31 March 2015).
District 27
District 27 is made up of Sembawang and Yishun. Within the area, there is an estimated 258,200 HDB residents and 77,009 flats (as of 31 March 2015).
Having completed more than 1 million flats and housed an entire nation, we believe there is more that we can do to build new-generation housing and smart, sustainable towns. We will continue to serve to the best of our abilities to create the best possible living environment where communities can thrive.
1 in 3 households lives in HDB 4-room flat, making it the most common housing in 2015.
Singapore's expertise in successful new town design was internationally recognised by the United Nation, and awarded the World Habitat Award to Tampines Town in 1992.
“HDB is not just a developer and master planner, we also play a social role.”
- Fong Chun Wah, HDB’s Group Director
Until the mid-1900s, much of the population lived in slums and squatter settlements, their makeshift homes reflecting their transient relationship with the migrant colony. Slum fires, however, forced them to move into flats. With the relocation to permanent housing, a sense of belonging grew.
The Singapore Improvement Trust (SIT) was set up in July 1927 to solve the serious housing shortage.
Many of the 23,000 flats it built were in areas such as Tiong Bahru and Old Airport Road.
SIT flats were designed for Singapore’s climate - high ceilings, large windows and open balconies were key features. Land scarcity was less of a concern, so these walk-up blocks tend to be under 10 storeys high.
Their design inspiration bear the distinctive curved forms of the Art Deco movement, which were popular during the 1920s and 1930s.
HDB designed basic flat types, ranging from 1-room, to 2-room and 3-room flats to meet the urgent housing needs. The first 1-room flats of the early 1960s came with a variation of shared facilities such as toilets or kitchens.
Larger flats were introduced to meet the demand from growing families. The 5-room flats came with an additional en-suite toilet attached to the master bedroom, and also a store room.
Rising affluence meant that more were opting for larger flats, and 4-room flats became the most popular flat type. Bigger Executive flats and Executive Maisonettes catered to higher-income families were added to the range.
Service yards in the kitchens for larger flats were introduced to allow HDB dwellers to use an area away from the kitchen to hang their laundry, unaffected by kitchen fumes. A bomb shelter 
New housing projects for a new generation gave room to even better designs. The Pinnacle at Duxton, Treelodge at Punggol, HDB’s 1st eco-precinct, Punggol Waterfront Housing and Dawson projects are landmark developments that combine stylish designs with environmentally-friendly features.
