Town council management in Singapore

Town councils are a new concept, first established in 1988 to ensure the proper management and maintenance of public housing developments in Singapore. Some seven years have passed since the operation of town councils. This paper attempts to assess the role of town councils, their powers and responsibilities in terms of maintenance management, and how they can serve as important tools for fostering a sense of identity and community bonding among residents in public housing estates. A survey on the assessment of the performance of a typical town council is also discussed.