Debated in Parliament on 24 Mar 2016.
Er Dr Lee Bee Wah asked the Minister for National Development whether the Ministry can provide an update on the feedback received from the public consultation on the Fresh Start Housing Scheme.
The Fresh Start Housing Scheme aims to help second-timer families with young children living in public rental housing to own a home again.
In November and December last year, the Ministry of National Development (MND) and Housing Development Board (HDB) held a series of focus group discussions to better understand the challenges that public rental tenants face in owning a home again, and seek views on how to support them in a meaningful way. We consulted former rental tenants who have successfully moved on to home ownership, current rental tenants, as well as social workers and frontline public officers who work with rental tenants.
Most of the participants agreed that the Fresh Start Housing Scheme cannot just be a housing scheme but must include guidance and support for families along their journey to home ownership.
There was also broad agreement that the families benefiting from the Scheme must also do their part to get their lives and finances in order. This means that they must show the commitment to find a job and maintain a stable income. At the same time, there was a strong view that the Scheme should focus on the children and ensure that they are attending school regularly, so that the next generation can make progress and secure a better future.
More detailed summaries of the consultation are available on MND's website. Based on the feedback received, we are now working out the detailed parameters for the Fresh Start Housing Scheme. What is clear is that the Scheme must be more than just the provision of another housing grant and a new flat. It is about supporting the families in need and helping them to solve their problems holistically. We continue to welcome feedback and will announce more details about the scheme soon.
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