Debated in Parliament on 12 Nov 2012.
Er Dr Lee Bee Wah asked the Minister for National Development (a) how many units are currently available under the HDB's Public Rental Scheme; (b) what is the current average waiting time and maximum waiting time to be allocated a unit from time of application; and (c) if he will provide an update on what is being done to further reduce the waiting time.
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We now have 49,300 units of 1- and 2-room public rental flats. It was 45,500 two years ago.
The current waiting time for a public rental flat averages about six months. At the individual level, the waiting time would vary. For some individuals, their waiting time can be long because of their insistence on a particular locality or even a specific block.
We are building new rental flats. This will increase the supply eventually to 57,000 by 2015. As we build more rental flats, we must also ensure that they are safeguarded for the poor and needy. These are the vulnerable citizens with no family support or other housing options. That is why we assess each applicant strictly.
As a society, we must also address upstream causes as simply expanding rental flat supply cannot be the solution. In particular, we must advise Singaporeans against selling off their HDB flats, with a view to spending the cash proceeds, and an expectation that HDB will provide them with a heavily subsidised rental flat. We must strongly discourage such behaviour.
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