Debated in Parliament on 3 Oct 2022.
Ms He Ting Ru asked the Minister for National Development (a) in 2021 and 2022, how many applications are received by HDB for interim housing assistance under the Provisional Parenthood Housing Scheme; (b) how many applicants are allocated flats under the scheme; and (c) what is the average waiting time for such applicants from the signing of tenancy agreement to moving in.
The Parenthood Provisional Housing Scheme (PPHS) provides an additional temporary housing option for households awaiting the completion of their new flats.
The number of unique PPHS applicants in 2021 and 2022, and the corresponding number of applicants who were allocated a PPHS flat are shown in Table 1 below. While the total number of PPHS applicants was much higher than the number of applicants who were allocated a PPHS flat, almost half of the applicants who were invited to select a flat did not do so, suggesting that many of them have other options.
Successful PPHS applicants are invited to select a flat and sign the tenancy agreement in the month following their application. They will collect the keys to the PPHS flat at the same time and can move in immediately.
The demand for PPHS flats has increased significantly since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Even as we work to double the supply of interim flats for PPHS by 2023, the supply remains limited and we will not be able to offer a PPHS flat to every applicant. We encourage families awaiting the completion of their new flats to seek other interim housing arrangements where possible, such as staying with their family or renting on the open market. Low-income households with no other housing options can approach the Housing and Development Board (HDB) for assistance and HDB may offer them Interim Rental Housing on a case-by-case basis.
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