Debated in Parliament on 8 Jul 2014.
Er Dr Lee Bee Wah asked the Minister for National Development how many studio apartments, 3Gen flats and 2-room to 5-room flats will be built by HDB in the next two years.
After ramping up our Build-to-Order (BTO) building programme for three years, we have cleared the backlog of first-timer applicants. As more resale flats were transacted at below valuation, we expect more buyers to return to the Housing and Development Board (HDB) resale market instead of relying on the BTO programme.
That is why, last year, I signalled a need to adjust the HDB building programme to a more sustainable level. For this year, we have decided to offer 22,400 BTO flats. Three-room
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and larger BTO flats will number 16,700 units, more than the estimated 15,000 new Singaporean family formations annually. Two-room flats and Studio Apartments will number 5,000 units and 700 units respectively, to cater to demand from low-income families, singles and the elderly.
As we have already launched 9,700 flats, another 12,700 flats shall be launched in the next six months. HDB will also conduct a second Sale of Balance Flats Exercise later this year to augment the BTO supply.
As for next year's building programme, we will monitor the BTO application rates closely and decide on the BTO supply in due course. I expect the number to be lower than this year's supply.