Debated in Parliament on 3 Jul 2023.
Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin asked the Minister for National Development (a) whether HDB will consider having Package 3 of the Optional Component Scheme under the sale of 2-room flexi flats on short leases to be automatically included for elderly buyers to enable the flats to be in a move-in condition; and (b) whether such a package can also be made available for flats purchased at Sale of Balance Flats exercises.
Currently, seniors aged 55 and above can choose from three packages of fixtures and fittings under the Optional Component Scheme (OCS) when they buy a 2-room flexi flat on short lease in a Build-To-Order (BTO) exercise. The three packages are flooring (Package 1), sanitary fittings (Package 2) and senior-friendly fittings (Package 3). Those who opt in for all three packages will have their new flat fitted in a move-in condition.
While the three OCS packages have been well received, about 30% of the seniors did not opt in for Package 3 in the last three years. An automatic inclusion of Package 3 may be less ideal than the current approach of giving seniors the flexibility to opt in for Package 3 according to their needs and preferences.
OCS is not available for flats sold under the Sale of Balance Flats (SBF) exercise, as the building contractors would generally have finalised the orders for OCS items by the time SBF applicants select their flats. However, HDB will assess appeals for OCS items to be installed depending on the construction stage of the flat, availability of building materials and whether these appeals can be accommodated without affecting site and completion progress.
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