Debated in Parliament on 19 Nov 2018.
Mr Kwek Hian Chuan Henry asked the Minister for National Development whether the Additional CPF Housing Grant and Special CPF Housing Grant can be extended to first-time buyers of HDB flats in mature estates as these buyers may wish to live near to their parents within the 4-km radius.
The Housing and Development Board (HDB) is committed to providing affordable public housing for Singaporeans. Helping families live with or near one another for mutual care and support has also been a longstanding priority for the Government.
To ensure new flats are affordable for first-timer families, we provide the Additional Central Provident Fund (CPF) Housing Grant (AHG) and Special CPF Housing Grant (SHG), on top of subsidised flat prices. All first-timer families earning up to $5,000 a month can receive an AHG of up to $40,000, regardless of whether they are buying a new flat in a mature or non-mature estate. The SHG of up to $40,000 is also extended to eligible first-timer families when they purchase 4-room and smaller flats in non-mature estates, to encourage prudence in home purchases.
For those buying new flats in HDB's Build-To-Order and Sale of Balance Flats exercises, we have various schemes that give priority to families who wish to stay with or near one another: the Married Child Priority Scheme, Multi-Generation Priority Scheme and Senior Priority Scheme. For multi-generation families that wish to stay together, we have also introduced purpose-built Three-Generation (3Gen) flats for a more comfortable living environment.
First-timer families buying resale flats are also given significant Government support. They can enjoy housing grants of up to $120,000, comprising a CPF Housing Grant of up to $50,000, an AHG of up to $40,000 and a Proximity Housing Grant of up to $30,000. This is regardless of whether the resale flat is in a mature or non-mature estate.
We will continue to review our housing policies to ensure that public housing remains affordable.
PAPERCUTS