Vary Choice of Locations in Consecutive BTO Sales Exercises

Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked the Minister for National Development whether the HDB can vary the choices of locations featured in consecutive BTO sales exercises to give buyers more and different location options especially when buyers have not been successful in earlier sales exercises.

The Housing and Development Board (HDB) endeavours to provide a good geographical spread in each sales exercise to meet the diverse needs and budgets of Singaporeans. However, land is scarce in Singapore and the planning and staging of sites in the Build-To-Order (BTO) flat supply are subject to site availability and readiness. Where new areas, such as Tengah, are being developed to provide housing, there is also the need to launch a sufficient quantum of flats to provide the critical mass to ensure viability of new facilities, for example, shops, and major infrastructure, such as rail lines.

In the recent February 2023 BTO launch, HDB offered about 4,400 flats in four towns comprising a mix of non-mature and mature estates of Jurong West, Tengah, Kallang Whampoa and Queenstown. HDB will offer about 5,400 BTO flats in Tengah, Bedok, Kallang Whampoa and Serangoon in May 2023.

HDB is prepared to launch a total of 100,000 flats from 2021 to 2025. This will comprise a range of flats in different locations to meet the diverse needs and budgets of Singaporeans. Flat buyers who have specific locational preferences can consider resale flats, where first-timer buyers can qualify for housing grants of up to $190,000.