The document summarizes the shortage of housing in Singapore from the colonial period to the 1990s and the actions taken by the government to address it. When Singapore gained self-government in 1959, about half a million people were living in slums and squatter settlements with poor sanitation. The new PAP government established the Housing & Development Board in 1960 and implemented three five-year plans to build public housing rapidly. The first plan focused on construction while improving design and amenities in subsequent plans. By 1990, home ownership rates increased significantly.