Debated in Parliament on 4 Jul 2022.
Mr Shawn Huang Wei Zhong asked the Minister for National Development (a) in the last five years, how many requests are made annually for Interim Rental Housing (IRH); (b) upon approval for allocation, what is the average waiting time to move in for (i) IRH and (ii) under the Parenthood Provisional Housing Scheme, respectively; and (c) what is the average occupancy duration of tenants under the respective schemes over the last five years.
HDB offers Interim Rental Housing (IRH) on a case-by-case basis, to help needy families who are in transit between longer-term housing options. In 2021, HDB assisted 870 households with IRH. As IRH is not open for public application, HDB does not track the number of requests made. The time taken to allocate a flat under IRH varies, depending on the family’s locational preferences.
As for the Parenthood Provisional Housing Scheme (PPHS), this provides an additional temporary housing option for households awaiting the completion of their new flats. It is open for application once every two months, and eligible applicants are put through a ballot. Those shortlisted via the ballot are invited to select a PPHS flat in the month following their application, and can move in immediately thereafter. Those who were not shortlisted via the ballot can apply again in subsequent rounds.
For both IRH and PPHS, the median occupancy period is between one to two years.
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