Debated in Parliament on 7 Feb 2023.
Mr Murali Pillai asked the Minister for National Development apart from location and flat type, whether the monthly household income of families may also be factored into the setting of rental rates of HDB flats for families under the Parenthood Provisional Housing Scheme.
The rental rates under the Parenthood Provisional Housing Scheme (PPHS) are set taking into consideration the monthly household incomes of eligible families and are highly subsidised to ensure that they are affordable for these families. For example, the rents for 3-room flats, which form the bulk of the PPHS flat supply, range from $600 to $900, about 65% to 80% lower than market rents in the same towns.
HDB offers a range of flat types across PPHS application exercises, depending on the vacancies available at the time. Applicants can check the flat types offered and the rental rates on HDB’s website before applying and apply for flats that they can afford.
Families also have the option of co-sharing a PPHS flat with another eligible family, if they want to lower their rental expenses. Lower-income households who are waiting for their new flat to be completed and have no other temporary housing options can approach HDB for assistance. HDB may offer them Interim Rental Housing, which has lower rents, on a case-by-case basis.
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