Debated in Parliament on 6 Nov 2025.
Mr Yip Hon Weng asked the Minister for National Development (a) how many current BTO projects have been launched with waiting times exceeding five years; (b) what are the typical reasons for the longer timelines; (c) what is the maximum wait time for such long timeline projects; and (d) how is HDB leveraging technology and artificial intelligence to improve construction productivity and mitigate long waits.
There are currently 120 Build-To-Order projects under construction. Of these, 12 projects were launched with waiting times exceeding five years. Ulu Pandan Banks and River Peaks I and II have the longest waiting times of close to six years. Waiting times for each project are made known to potential applicants at launch.
Waiting times vary based on each project's unique attributes. Reasons for longer waiting times include requirements for more stringent environmental management and monitoring measures and challenging ground conditions which lead to more time required for piling and underground service works.
To reduce waiting times, the Housing Development Board is leveraging technology and artificial intelligence across three key areas: first, greater standardisation and modularisation to streamline construction processes; second, adoption of robotics and automation, such as painting robots; and third, use of digital platforms to streamline design and construction workflows.
Through these efforts, close to 70% of flats launched over the past three years had waiting times of four years or less.
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