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If someone told you there was a vending machine selling hot meals for S$3 or less at a condominium in Singapore, you would probably assume it was a mistake.<\/p>\n
That is exactly what caught the attention of a Reddit user, who recently shared a photo of a Value Meals @ South West vending machine at The Hillside, a condominium in Choa Chu Kang.<\/p>\n
Naturally, many people were puzzled.<\/p>\n
After all, these subsidised meal vending machines are typically found beneath HDB blocks rather than inside private residential developments.<\/p>\n
As it turns out, the machine is part of Value Meals @ South West, a pilot initiative by South West CDC and Select Group aimed at making affordable meals more accessible, particularly for lower-income residents.<\/p>\n
Introduced earlier this year, it sells sandwiches, and even local comfort food like fried bee hoon and curry chicken with rice, all for S$3 or less.<\/p>\n
Around 80 vending machines have been deployed across the South West District, with most operating round the clock at HDB void decks.<\/p>\n
Not everyone pays for the meals, though.<\/p>\n
The vending machines also support lower-income and vulnerable residents through a digital credit system.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>Eligible residents are typically allocated between 100 and 300 credits, with 300 credits being enough to redeem around 100 free meals.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Interestingly, that isn’t the only community vending machine at the condo.\u00a0<\/p>\n Right beside it is another vending machine under Bukit Gombak Cares, a community and social outreach initiative by Bukit Gombak SMC MP Low Yen Ling.<\/p>\n Besides operating its own Value Meals vending machines, the programme is also\u00a0 known for its Mobile Groceries Truck, which regularly pops up beneath HDB blocks with heavily subsidised groceries and household essentials.<\/p>\n Of course, netizens had questions.<\/p>\n A puzzled netizen asked: \u201cThey can afford to live in a condo\u2026 So, why do they need this cheap food?\u201d<\/p>\n Another pointed out that the subsidised meals are intended for lower-income residents.<\/p>\n However, the OP claimed there did not appear to be any checks on who could purchase them.<\/p>\n 8days.sg has reached out to The Hillside and South West CDC, for comment, but had not received a response at press time.<\/p>\n Still, we would say this is probably one of Singapore’s most unexpected places to stumble upon a S$3 meal, don’t you think?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n