#20- Professor Chua Beng Huat: Is The Singapore Housing Miracle Over?

Professor Chua Beng Huat is a Singaporean Sociologist and is an Emeritus Professor at the National University of Singapore. He is also currently a Visiting Fellow at the Singapore Management University. He is the author of two books: 1) Public Subsidy, Private Accumulation: The Political Economy of Singapore's Public Housing (https://amzn.to/3Wf6uhz) 2) Liberalism Disavowed: Communitarianism and State Capitalism in Singapore (https://amzn.to/40py26m) This conversation with Professor Chua Beng Huat explores the imperfect miracle of Singapore's public housing. We delved into Singapore's disavowal of liberalism, the nation’s distinctive state capitalism model, and the transformative role of public housing in its development. We explored the implications of government land ownership, examining how public housing serves as both a practical utility and a financial asset while addressing challenges like inequality and affordability in the tightly regulated Singaporean housing market. Chapters: 00:00 Teaser 00:40 Liberalism Disavowed 08:14 Varieties of Capitalism 09:46 Singapore's Approach to Land Management 25:10 Public Housing as a Tool for Political Legitimacy 27:22 Public Housing and Private Accumulation 37:22 The Problem with Public Housing in Singapore 44:03 Political Implications of Singapore's Housing Policies 47:19 Addressing Inequality in Housing 49:42 Why Study Sociology 52:56 Working as a Sociologist 56:34 Advice To The Young