Debated in Parliament on 13 Feb 2015.
Mr Ang Wei Neng asked the Minister for National Development between 2010 and 2014, what are the number and percentage of HDB BTO flat applicants who (i) gave up their units before collecting their keys though they have selected their flats; and (ii) appeal to delay the collection of their keys, broken down by year, room type and whether they are first-time applicants.
The Minister of State for National Development (Mr Desmond Lee) (for the Minister for National Development): Mdm Speaker, for the sales launches from 2010 to 2014, there were about 113,000 new flat bookings as at 31 January this year. Of these bookings, about 10,000, or 9% of the applicants, did not complete the purchase.
The number of appeals to delay key collection totalled about 460: 30 in 2010, followed by 50 in 2011; 90 each in 2012 and 2013; and 200 in 2014. The increase in appeals corresponded with the increase in the number of flats completed over the years.
Out of the 460 appeals, about 180 appeals were from first-timer applicants. Generally, 4- and 5-room flat types had more appeals from first-timers, while the smaller flat types had more appeals from second-timer applicants. About three in four of them have since collected the keys.
I thank the Minister of State for the reply. I was asking about the percentage and number of applicants who gave up their flats from 2010 to 2014, broken down by year, to see whether there is an increasing trend of residents who are not able to collect their keys due to financial problems, that is, those who have booked the flat but could not collect the keys because of financial problems.
Madam, for the figures as of now, if the Member could file a written request, we could put up a table for him. But my sense is that HDB will look at the individual circumstances of the applicants. If they face, for example, financial hardship that the Member spoke of, we will see how best we can assist them.
PAPERCUTS