Debated in Parliament on 12 Sep 2022.
Ms Sylvia Lim asked the Minister for National Development (a) what are the current waiting times for HDB rental flat allocations under the Public Rental Scheme for approved applications segmented by application zone; and (b) what is the Ministry’s updated assessment of the sufficiency of the supply of HDB rental flats to meet demand.
The current average waiting time for rental flat allocation under the Public Rental Scheme is eight months. For applicants who are in urgent need of a rental flat, such as those with medical grounds or other exceptional circumstances, HDB will prioritise their applications and expedite flat allocation.
Since August 2022, HDB has removed the zonal approach for applications under the Public Rental Scheme. This allows approved applicants to select from all available flats across Singapore and helps to alleviate the longer waiting time in certain zones.
The overall supply of rental flats is currently sufficient to meet aggregate demand. Nonetheless, we are monitoring the situation closely, as the demand for rental flats has increased since the COVID-19 pandemic began. We are also studying options to augment the supply, where necessary.
PAPERCUTS