Debated in Parliament on 16 Feb 2024.
Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song asked the Minister for National Development in each of the last five years (a) how many Singaporeans aged below 35 who are married to foreigners who are not Long-Term Visit Pass holders made appeals to buy HDB flats or rent flats under the Public Rental Scheme; (b) how many appeals were approved; and (c) what were the main reasons for approval or denial.
Mr Speaker, Singapore Citizens (SCs) married to non-resident spouses, or SC-NR couples for short, have similar access to public housing as other Singaporean families, if they have a child who is an SC or Singapore Permanent Resident, or SPR.
SC-NR couples without an SC or SPR child can buy a Housing and Development Board (HDB) flat under the Non-Citizen Spouse Scheme.
If the SC is aged between 21 and 34, and the NR spouse has a Long-Term Visit Pass (LTVP) or a Work Pass with at least six months validity at the time of flat application, the couple can buy any resale HDB flat on the open market, except for 3Gen flats and flats launched under the Prime Location Public Housing model.
If the SC is a First-Timer aged 35 and above, the couple can also buy a new 2-room Flexi flat in the non-mature estates from HDB, in addition to the resale options I explained earlier.
For public rental housing, SC-NR couples who do not have an SC or SPR child, do not meet the citizenship eligibility criterion. That notwithstanding, HDB assesses all requests holistically and exercises flexibility for those in exceptional circumstances with no other housing options or family support.
From 2019 to 2023, HDB received an average of about 160 appeals per year to buy an HDB flat or access public rental housing from SC-NR couples who did not meet the citizenship eligibility criterion and where the Singaporean spouse was aged below 35. This number includes couples where the foreign spouse had a LTVP, as HDB does not track the number of such couples with or without LTVP.
HDB carefully assesses each appeal based on the household's unique circumstances, taking into account factors such as housing needs, financial conditions, family circumstances and medical conditions. Over the last five years, HDB acceded to an average of 13 appeals per year.
Mr Giam.
I thank the Minister of State for his reply. I just want to understand why is it that the Family Scheme under HDB does not include spouses with LTVP who are LTVP holders. Because LTVP is similar to SPR in many ways – as far as healthcare is concerned, they get similar kinds of benefits. So, why do they not get the same kind of housing benefits that SPRs get?
Sir, we look after the Singaporean families first, as the resources are finite. As such, we want to support and prioritise Singaporean families. However, as I shared earlier, those with a valid LTVP, even though they may not come under the Family Scheme, they have the option to purchase resale flats, excluding the 3Gen flats and flats under the Prime Location Public Housing model. So, basically, it is about how we prioritise resources.
At the same time, we look at the circumstances of the family. So, I want to assure the Member that HDB has allowed appeals in various instances; it is something we look at, on a case-by-case basis. We also work with the residents to see how they can have that housing option.
While we move forward, I hope that Members would also understand the situation that we are facing, where we want to balance the needs of our citizens and at the same time, we also want to make sure that there are opportunities for parenthood and provide housing options for Singaporeans, whatever circumstances they are in, and also provide help for those who are in dire need.
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