11-10-2023 (SINGAPORE) The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) in Singapore has announced that approximately 1,000 purpose-built and factory-converted foreign worker dormitories will be required to meet higher standards by 2030. The decision aims to enhance public health resilience in the living quarters of migrant workers. However, dormitories with leases expiring in 2033 or earlier, as well as smaller dorms with six beds or fewer that fall outside the scope of the Foreign Employee Dormitories Act (FEDA), will be exempted from the new requirements. Around 1,500 dormitories are covered by FEDA.
The move comes as part of ongoing efforts to prevent the spread of diseases, following the rapid transmission of COVID-19 in migrant worker accommodations in 2020. MOM emphasized the need to act swiftly, citing the emergence of new strains of the virus. Senior Minister of State for Manpower Koh Poh Koon stated that even though the worst of the pandemic may be behind us, the threat of new variants necessitates continued progress in this area.
The interim standards introduced by MOM specify that dormitory rooms should accommodate up to 12 residents, with a recommended spacing of 1 meter between beds. This spacing requirement will become mandatory under the new standards. Until 2030, there are no restrictions on the maximum number of residents per room, and existing dorms are not obligated to adhere to any specific bed-spacing regulations. MOM’s 2021 statement noted that most dormitory rooms currently house between 12 to 16 residents.
By 2030, each resident must have a minimum living space of 3.6 square meters, excluding shared facilities. This figure will increase to 4.2 square meters or more by 2040, in line with the new standards. Presently, dormitory residents have an average living space of 3.5 square meters.
The interim standards also cover toilets and isolation facilities. En-suite toilets with one toilet, shower, and handwash basin per six residents are mandatory, although MOM may allow communal toilets on a case-by-case basis for dormitories facing infrastructure constraints. The requirement for isolation beds remains at a minimum of 10 per 1,000 bed spaces, but en-suite toilets will be mandatory for all isolation rooms by 2030. Additionally, there will be a need for more single-bedder isolation rooms and partitioning between beds in rooms with two occupants.
To address concerns about existing dormitories operating under outdated standards, MOM has introduced the interim standards to improve public health resilience without imposing the full requirements of the new standards. However, dormitories that wish to meet the 2040 standards ahead of schedule may choose to do so voluntarily.
MOM acknowledged the impact on bed supply and prices during the transition and assured stakeholders that there will be a cap on the number of beds transitioning to the interim standards each year. The ministry plans to prioritize the transition of most dormitories between 2027 and 2030 to minimize disruptions. Dormitory operators expressed initial skepticism but ultimately recognized the importance of the changes and appreciated that the government considered their interests.
While the focus of the interim standards is on infection control, other aspects of the new standards, such as sewage redesign and Wi-Fi provision, will not be mandatory during this phase. MOM will open applications in 2025 for dormitories to choose their preferred year to complete the transition, and early communication of plans to MOM will facilitate the assessment and management of bed supply. Large dormitories with higher public health risks may be required to transition before 2027.
MOM will provide financial support to partially cover the costs incurred by dormitory operators, acknowledging that the government typically does not require retrofitting of existing buildings to meet new infrastructure standards. Dormitories will be required to contribute to the expenses as they stand to benefit from the improvements.
