Hougang is a well known residential area commonly known as ‘heartland', a term used to describe a centralised region in a bigger area. It comprises Housing & Development Board (HDB) flats and condominiums. There are about 47,000 units of flats, most of which are 4 rooms. In addition, 4,300 executive flats and 960 HUDC (Housing and Urban Development Company) flats are located in Hougang. Most of the residential areas can be found in the New Town area. In fact, construction in this region began as early as  1980s and since the beginning of 21st century prices of the HDB estates and the condominiums have escalated significantly.

The population at Hougang has risen sharply over the years partly due to the fact that a slew of facilities have become readily available to the residents there. There are many shopping malls, hospitals, educational institutions, security facilities and recreational facilities found at arms length from the Hougang HDB estates. Punggol Park and Punggol South Park are places where locals flock in numbers to enjoy picnics and have a great time out. Many sports facilities such as the Hougang Swimming Complex, Hougang Sports Hall and Hougang Stadium are available too.

Location Specifics

Hougang HDB estates are situated in the north-eastern region of Singapore. The HDB estates are surrounded by Yio Chu Kang Road and Upper Paya Lebar Road to the West, Airport Road to the South, Paya Lebar Airport to the East and Sengkang New Town to the north. Some of the nearby regions are Defu Lane (District 19), Kembangan (District 14), Paya Lebar (District 14), Punggol (District 19), Tai Seng (District 19) and Ubi (District 14).

Hougang is divided into 7 sub zones for the sake of better administration and development:

• Hougang

• Trafalgar

• Rosyth

• Lorong Ah Soo

• Tai Keng

• Defu Industrial Park

• Sungei Serangoon

All the sub zones in this region present equal facilities for a comfortable living, and therefore, real estate business is booming in each of these sub zones.

Transportation Network

Hougang HDB estates are well connected with the vast expanse of regions lying within this region. Two common modes of transportation- the road transportation network and railways- are easily available in Hougang.

Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) is the synonym for the local railways in Singapore. MRT services are available at regular intervals at the MRT stations located in various parts of the city. Some of the important MRT stations in Hougang are Hougang MRT (NE14) and Kovan MRT (NE13).

Road transportation has been made easy with the construction of several broad roads and expressways. Singapore Bus Services (SBS) and Singapore Mass Rapid Transit (SMRT) buses offer high connectivity of the region to the rest of Singapore. Some of the prominent services offered by SBS are:

• SBS Feeder Services - 325, 321, 322, 326, 327, 328, etc.

• SBS Trunk Services - 132, 153, 74, 74e, 1, 2, 3, 27, 51, 62, etc.

• Night Services - NR6 and 6N

Educational Institutions

Many types of people with different lifestyles live in the HDB estates of Hougang. They belong to different income classes, different age groups, communities, and so on. A large number of residents here belong to the student community. To cater good quality education to the residents, some of the most prestigious schools and educational institutions are located in close proximity to the residential areas of Hougang.

Well-known institutes of education located near the Hougang HDB estates are:

Primary Schools

• Hougang Primary School

• Xinghua Primary School

• Yio Chu Kang Primary School

Secondary Schools

• Bowen Secondary School

• Holy Innocent's High School

• Montfort Secondary School

Tertiary Institutes

• Serangoon Junior College

• University of New Brunswick

• Hougang Japanese Language School

Amenities / Facilities

In recent years, real estate business in general and the sales of the HDB estates in particular have experienced a significant boom in Hougang. One of the prime reasons for this is the number of facilities that the residents of these areas can enjoy. Hougang HDB estates are situated at prime locations in the city with all the necessary amenities just a stone's throw away. Some of the essential amenities found in Hougang are:

Shopping Centres

• Hougang Green Shopping Mall

• Hougang Mall

• NTUC Hougang Mall

Dine-Out Places

• Jack's Place

• Kopitiam

• Suki Sushi

Community Centres and Clubs

• Hougang Swimming Complex

• Catholic Archdiocesan Youth Centre (CAYC)

• Hougang Community Club

Healthcare Facilities

• Institute of Mental Health

• Buangkok Green Medical Park

• Bright Vision Hospital

Places of Worship

• Hong Lai Sze Temple

• Glad Tidings Church

• Masjid En-Naeem (Mosque)

Others

• Cheng San Community Library

• Fu Hui Library

• Punggol Park

• Surin Avenue Neighbourhood Park

• The balconies of the HDB flats in Hougang are known to be large and semi-circular, and is a feature quite distinctive to the flats around the area. Such balconies are not as common outside of Hougang.

• Hougang's Institue of Mental Health, which caters towards mental patients, was once known more famously to Singaporeans as Woodsbridge Mental Hospital.