Efforts to Increase Supply of HDB BTO Flats in Non-mature Estates

Ms Mariam Jaafar asked the Minister for National Development what steps are being taken to increase the supply of HDB's BTO flats in lower priced non-mature estates as opposed to mature estates and prime location public housing.

Over the past two years, there has been strong, broad-based demand for housing. HDB has thus committed to ramp up BTO flat supply in the immediate two years of 2022 and 2023 and is prepared to do more if needed.

While HDB has streamlined development processes to support the BTO ramp-up, there remain constraints at certain planned BTO sites. For example, some of these sites may be currently occupied by interim uses that cannot be vacated earlier or there may be existing encumbrances on-site. For sites with environmental or heritage concerns, additional time will also be needed to conduct the necessary studies and public engagement of the relevant stakeholders.

Nonetheless, HDB strives to maintain a healthy supply of NME BTO sites at every BTO launch. For example, for the November 2022 BTO exercise, HDB launched almost 6,000 flats in NMEs, a supply that is larger than the total number of BTO flats launched in a typical BTO exercise. For 2022, we have launched more than 23,000 flats, an increase of 35%, compared to 2021. More than half of these flats are in NMEs.

MND and HDB will continue to monitor demand closely and make the necessary adjustments to meet the housing needs of Singaporeans, especially those seeking to buy their first home. We will continue to offer a wide range of flats in different locations to meet diverse budgets and housing needs.