Housing & estates — Topics

5 Feb 2013

Additional Help for Families with Children to Buy Flats

Gan Thiam Poh asked whether an additional cash grant could be given to first-time HDB buyers with at least one child and if priority could be provided for families upgrading to larger flats due to having more children.
Baey Yam Keng simply noted the question number without contributing to the debate.
Khaw Boon Wan stated that HDB’s housing subsidies and grants are designed to help all eligible buyers, regardless of children, and highlighted the enhanced Marriage and Parenthood package as the separate initiative to encourage childbirth, with further consideration of such proposals in future reviews.

Summary written by AI

Overview Original source

5 Feb 2013

Annual Amount Collected from HDB Resale Levy

HDB collects about $22 million in resale levies annually, with around 2,900 appeals per year for reductions or waivers.
The resale levy changed from a floating to a fixed amount in 2006, creating barriers for some homeowners due to accumulated interest and differing calculations.
The Minister acknowledged the levy can be a barrier but noted it is unfair to harmonize past and current formulas, as many already paid under the old system.
Appeals are considered case-by-case, with options like reducing or waiving interest charges or incorporating the levy into the new flat’s price for instalment payments.
Members suggested allowing instalment payments for the cash component to help low-income residents, which the Minister said is already considered in individual cases.

Summary written by AI

Overview Original source

5 Feb 2013

Affordability of New HDB Flats

The Minister explained that new HDB flats are priced based on household income, resale market prices, and flat attributes, with substantial discounts and grants to ensure affordability for first-time citizen buyers.
The pricing policy allows flexibility in adjusting discounts and grants to maintain affordability, even as new flat prices are now deliberately delinked from resale price trends.
Concerns were raised about whether delinking new flat prices from resale prices contradicts the earlier practice, to which the Minister clarified that discounts are still anchored to resale benchmarks but can be varied to stabilize prices.

Summary written by AI

Overview Original source

4 Feb 2013

Community Health Assist Scheme

Sitoh Yih Pin proposed simplifying the Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS) application by pre-qualifying residents of HDB rental flats, 1-room, and 2-room flats.
Gan Kim Yong highlighted that CHAS was enhanced in January 2012 to include Singaporeans aged above 40 with per capita household income of $1,500 or below, using housing type as a proxy for economically inactive households.
The application process has been simplified by removing the need for income documents with consent and using a single household application.
Agencies are actively reaching out to residents in HDB rental and smaller flats to encourage sign-ups and assist with applications, while continuously exploring further simplification and targeting measures.

Summary written by AI

Overview Original source

4 Feb 2013

Impact of Property Cooling Measures on Permanent Residents Owning HDB Flats

Approximately 400 HDB flats are owned by Permanent Residents who also own a private property and do not reside in their HDB flats.
PRs who own HDB flats must sell them within six months of purchasing a private residential property.
Existing tenancy agreements on HDB flats should be timed to align with the six-month deadline for disposal, as failure to do so may require early termination.

Summary written by AI

Overview Original source

4 Feb 2013

A Sustainable Population for A Dynamic Singapore

Intan Azura Mokhtar urged the government to better publicize and coordinate cost-of-living assistance schemes and to actively attract more Malay/Muslim immigrants to maintain racial stability, emphasizing support for Singaporean families before relying on foreigners.
Christopher de Souza stressed the need to preserve a strong Singaporean core identity, ensure meritocracy applies equally to locals and foreigners, and prioritize national security by staffing critical institutions with Singaporeans.
He called for infrastructure improvements—especially in housing and transport—to be completed ahead of population growth, and proposed stricter regulations on foreign property ownership to prevent market distortions.

Summary written by AI

Overview Original source

4 Feb 2013

Land Area Set Aside for Public and Private Housing

Png Eng Huat asked for the percentage of Singapore's land area used for public and private housing.
The Senior Parliamentary Secretary stated that about 7% of land is allocated to public housing and another 7% to private housing, primarily in low-density zones.
Png Eng Huat inquired if the 7% figure was based on 2010 data, and the official confirmed it was.
The exchange highlighted that an equal share of land is dedicated to public and private housing in Singapore's land use planning.
The figures provided reflect data from 2010, indicating a long-term allocation strategy for residential land.

Summary written by AI

Overview Original source

14 Jan 2013

Polling for Neighbourhood Renewal and Home Improvement Programmes for Hougang SMC

Twenty-six HIP and 25 NRP projects across Singapore are pending polling or consensus gathering, including one of each in Hougang SMC.
The Hougang HIP project, announced in August 2012, had a tender called in October 2012 with award expected soon, after which polling preparations will take about six months.
The Hougang NRP project requires appointment of a design consultant and design of items before consensus gathering can begin.

Summary written by AI

Overview Original source

14 Jan 2013

First-Time Buyers of BTO Flats in Mature Estates

Pritam Singh asked what percentage of monthly income first-time buyers of BTO flats in mature estates use for housing loans.
Khaw Boon Wan replied that these buyers use about 30% of their income for loans, within the international benchmark on affordability.
He noted that flats in mature estates are priced higher due to demand and location but are made affordable through HDB discounts and subsidies.
First-timers seeking more affordable options are encouraged to consider BTO flats in non-mature estates.
The response emphasized the BTO programme's focus on providing affordable housing across different estate types.

Summary written by AI

Overview Original source

14 Jan 2013

One-Stop HDB and CPF Board Centre

Zaqy Mohamad asked if a one-stop HDB and CPF Board centre could be set up to reduce the need for flat owners to shuttle between agencies.
Khaw Boon Wan stated that HDB already provides integrated services for CPF transactions at its Hub, branches, and service centres, including CPF withdrawals and mortgage processing.
HDB and CPF Board jointly operate a hotline and enquiry counters for recent housing schemes, and they continue to streamline inter-agency processes to improve accessibility.

Summary written by AI

Overview Original source

14 Jan 2013

Number of HDB Flats Benefiting from Home Improvement Programme

Sylvia Lim asked the Minister for National Development about the number of HDB flats that would benefit from the Home Improvement Programme each year from FY2013 to FY2015.
Khaw Boon Wan explained that the programme covers 300,000 flats to address maintenance issues like spalling concrete and ceiling leakage.
He stated that, subject to budget, HDB aims to select up to 28,000 flats in FY2013 and up to 35,000 flats annually in FY2014 and FY2015.

Summary written by AI

Overview Original source

14 Jan 2013

Reviewing Household Income Ceiling Criterion For HDB Rental Flats

Muhamad Faisal Bin Abdul Manap asked the Minister for National Development to review the $1,500 monthly household income ceiling for HDB rental flats and to consider using per capita income for eligibility assessments.
Khaw Boon Wan explained that HDB rental flats are for needy families with no viable housing options and that the current $1,500 income ceiling aligns with the 20th percentile of household income, making it appropriate.
He added that HDB exercises flexibility, allowing larger families exceeding the income ceiling to still get rental flats if they lack family support or other housing options.
The debate highlighted concerns about the strict income criterion versus the need to support vulnerable households.
No changes to the income ceiling policy were announced, but the existing flexibility was emphasized.

Summary written by AI

Overview Original source

14 Jan 2013

Complaints about Quality of BTO Flats

Liang Eng Hwa requested details on the number of complaints about defects in new BTO flats completed in the last two years and how HDB addresses design-related complaints.
Khaw Boon Wan reported that out of 19,100 BTO flats completed, there were about 13,900 defect reports, averaging less than one per unit, with most being minor issues like doors and fixtures.
HDB uses the independent CONQUAS quality assessment system, with scores rising over the past five years, indicating improving flat quality.
HDB sets up Building Service Centres to handle resident feedback promptly and regularly reviews processes and materials to enhance quality, with surveys showing general design satisfaction.

Summary written by AI

Overview Original source

14 Jan 2013

Extension of Lease Buyback Scheme to Owners of Larger HDB Flats

Gerald Giam asked if the Lease Buyback Scheme could be extended to owners of 4-room or larger HDB flats.
Khaw Boon Wan explained the scheme is currently targeted at lower-income elderly in smaller flats to boost retirement income.
The government has no plan to extend it to larger flats as owners have other monetisation options.
Elderly households in larger flats can rent out spare rooms or right-size to smaller units via the Silver Housing Bonus Scheme.
The existing scheme focuses on small flats because elderly households tend to be small and need additional income support.

Summary written by AI

Overview Original source

14 Jan 2013

Levy for Private Home Owners who Rent Out Their HDB Flats

Pritam Singh proposed a special levy on HDB rental income for private property owners to encourage selling and increase resale supply, potentially moderating prices.
Khaw Boon Wan noted that HDB owners who rent out flats already pay higher property taxes (10%) and income tax on rental income, alongside existing cooling measures to moderate the resale market.
He stated that HDB lacks the legal authority to impose such a levy and highlighted measures like banning Permanent Residents from subletting whole flats to prioritize owner-occupation.

Summary written by AI

Overview Original source

14 Jan 2013

HDB BTO Flats for Second-Time Buyers

Gan Thiam Poh asked the Ministry for National Development about the timeline and proportion for increasing HDB BTO flats allocation for second-time buyers.
Khaw Boon Wan stated that the quota for second-timers in non-mature estates was increased from 5% to 15% in March, which improved their chances of securing a flat.
The Ministry plans to continue assisting second-timers, particularly those downgrading for financial reasons, but emphasized that any increase must not compromise first-timers’ success rates.

Summary written by AI

Overview Original source

14 Jan 2013

Publicising BTO Sites in Advance

Gan Thiam Poh asked if the Ministry could share proposed new HDB BTO sites one year in advance and allow public registration of interest for better planning.
Khaw Boon Wan responded that the Ministry will try to publish likely BTO towns for the next 12 months, but detailed sites cannot be finalized until about two months before launch due to evolving planning factors.
He added that allowing public registration for all proposed sites would not improve demand matching, as it lacks commitment and could crowd out genuine buyers, unlike the current one-application-per-exercise system.

Summary written by AI

Overview Original source

14 Jan 2013

Limiting Cash-Over-Valuation Amounts for HDB Flats

Dr Intan Azura Mokhtar proposed a cap of 10% on Cash-over-Valuation (COV) amounts for HDB resale flats.
Khaw Boon Wan explained that COV is the difference between the resale price (set by buyer and seller) and the market valuation (assessed by a valuer).
Khaw Boon Wan stated that capping COV would require the government to set resale prices, which he deemed undesirable and infeasible.

Summary written by AI

Overview Original source

14 Jan 2013

Correlation between Home Ownership and Marriage

Ms Tan Su Shan inquired about the number of singles aged 35 to 40 who bought HDB flats over the past decade, the percentage who married afterward compared to those who did not buy a home, and whether owning a home speeds up marriage, suggesting faster direct sales of Build-to-Order flats if true.
Khaw Boon Wan responded that singles cannot buy new HDB flats directly but can purchase resale flats at age 35 or older, with 18,000 singles aged 35 to 40 buying resale flats in the past decade, of whom 21% married subsequently, though data on non-buyers is unavailable.
The Minister noted that a policy allowing singles to buy new HDB flats for owner-occupation is being finalized and aims for implementation this year.

Summary written by AI

Overview Original source

14 Jan 2013

Higher Interest Rates for HDB Loans than for Private Bank Loans

Zainal Sapari questioned why HDB loan interest rates are higher than commercial bank rates and whether HDB buyers are worse off.
Khaw Boon Wan explained that HDB market rates are based on a moving average of local bank rates and have a floor linked to CPF rates.
He noted that while commercial banks currently offer lower promotional rates, these are temporary and long-term comparisons show HDB concessionary rates have historically been lower than bank rates.
HDB's non-concessionary loans are rarely granted, only under exceptional circumstances upon appeal.

Summary written by AI

Overview Original source