Housing & estates — Topics

6 Feb 2023

Affordable and Accessible Public Housing

The Minister for National Development affirmed the government's commitment to keeping HDB flats affordable and accessible, citing policies such as building supply in step with demand, pricing flats affordably with grants, and maintaining a stable property market, while noting that COVID-19 disruptions caused temporary supply tightness and higher resale prices.
He highlighted that before the pandemic, HDB resale prices had been stable or declining for years, and BTO flat prices have remained nearly unchanged despite rising construction costs, with nearly 70% of 2022 BTO flats affordable to median-income households using less than a quarter of income for mortgage payments.
The government is ramping up supply by launching up to 100,000 new flats from 2021 to 2025 and increasing shorter-wait-time flats, while prioritizing first-timer couples and considering measures to better allocate flats to those with urgent needs.
He addressed concerns about mature estate flat access by noting the Prime Location Public Housing model and plans to moderate locational premiums, while cautioning against policies that could increase windfall gains or undermine long-term sustainability, including the trade-offs with national reserves.
The minister emphasized that housing policies must balance current and future generations' needs, rejecting proposals that ignore fiscal trade-offs, and reiterated the government's goal of improving affordability and accessibility through ongoing reviews and future announcements.

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6 Feb 2023

Simultaneous Debate on Motions

The Leader of the House moved to debate two separate motions on public housing—one from the Minister for National Development and one from an NCMP—together simultaneously, allowing a holistic discussion and more efficient parliamentary business.
The two motions cover common topics on affordable and accessible housing, owner-occupation intent, retirement adequacy, and inclusivity, but from different perspectives.
The debate will be conducted concurrently as if on a single motion, but the motions remain separate and will be voted on individually after the debate.
Minister Desmond Lee and NCMP Leong Mun Wai will each have the right to open and close the debate on their respective motions.
The House agreed to the proposal to hold a simultaneous debate on the two motions.

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10 Jan 2023

Approvals to Flat Owners to Sublet Entire Property Rescinded due to Nuisance Caused by Tenants

Ms He Ting Ru asked the Minister for National Development for the number of HDB flat owners who had their subletting approvals rescinded due to tenant nuisance over the last 10 years.
Desmond Lee stated that flat owners must comply with terms including conducting tenant checks and preventing nuisance, and HDB may terminate rental approvals for non-compliance.
Over the last five years, HDB received about 600 public feedback pieces on tenant nuisance, with 80% resolved through mediation and advice to flat owners.
In cases where nuisance persisted, flat owners themselves took action to terminate the tenancy with the tenants.
The response did not provide the specific numbers requested for the last 10 years, focusing instead on recent mediation efforts and owner responsibilities.

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10 Jan 2023

Data on Proportion of Greenfield and Brownfield Sites for Public Housing Development

Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis asked the Minister for National Development for data over the past decade and expected future HDB BTO launches on the proportion and numbers of greenfield and brownfield sites for public housing, along with the number of flats in each site type.
Minister Desmond Lee stated that approximately half of the public housing sites in the last 10 years were greenfield, located in areas like Punggol and Tengah, while brownfield sites were mainly infill developments in mature towns such as Bukit Merah and Kallang Whampoa.
Annually, there were about 10 to 20 greenfield sites yielding 5,900 to 14,900 flats and five to 20 brownfield sites yielding 2,900 to 13,100 flats, with future BTO details dependent on prevailing demand.

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10 Jan 2023

Number of HDB Flats That Have Not Been Resold by Their First Owner

Leong Mun Wai asked the Minister for National Development about the current number of HDB flats that have not been resold by their first owner.
Desmond Lee stated that HDB flats are primarily for owner-occupation with a Minimum Occupation Period of 5 years (10 years for Prime Location Public Housing flats) before resale.
As of December 2022, about 379,700 flats purchased from HDB have not been resold by their first owner.
Owners typically resell flats to upgrade for family needs, right-size, or move closer to family for mutual support.

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10 Jan 2023

Private Residential Property Transactions made by Citizens, PRs, Foreigners and Companies

Leong Mun Wai requested a decade-long breakdown of private residential property transaction percentages by Singapore Citizens, Permanent Residents, foreigners, and companies majority-owned by Singaporeans or non-Singaporeans.
Desmond Lee provided the requested data in a table, covering the last 10 years as asked.
The debate centered on the distribution of private property transactions among different buyer categories over time.
The information was presented in a structured table for clarity and reference.

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10 Jan 2023

Number of Short-lease 2-room Flexi Flats and Community Care Apartments Launched in Past Five Years

Between 2017 and 2021, HDB launched about 21,200 2-room Flexi flats and 170 Community Care Apartments in Bukit Batok, with 18,300 seniors applying for the former and 600 for the latter.
Approximately 80% of seniors applying for 2-room Flexi flats and 50% for Community Care Apartments were successful, with unsuccessful cases primarily due to oversubscription in popular projects.
About half of the seniors who were unsuccessful in applying for these flats were already living in 4-room or larger HDB flats at the time of application.

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10 Jan 2023

Number of BTO Flats with Shorter Waiting Times Launched Each Year

Since 2018, HDB has launched nearly 11,000 BTO flats with shorter waiting times (under three years), with specific annual numbers and proportions detailed in a table.
Shorter waiting times are achieved by commencing construction before the BTO projects are officially launched, typically about a year in advance.
To address high housing demand, HDB plans to launch up to 23,000 flats in 2023 and up to 100,000 flats from 2021 to 2025, with shorter waiting time flats included where possible.

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10 Jan 2023

Plans to Increase Grants to Town Councils to Cope with Higher Costs

Gerald Giam asked whether the Ministry of National Development plans to increase grants to Town Councils to cover rising costs such as electricity and other contracts.
Desmond Lee explained that Town Councils are autonomous entities responsible for their own financial sustainability but face higher costs due to energy, manpower, and maintenance, and the Government provides several grants totaling about $239 million annually.
The Government will monitor the economic environment and Town Councils’ financial positions to determine if further funding support is needed.

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10 Jan 2023

Appeals for Waiver of 15-month Wait-out Period by Divorced Private Residential Property Owners

Mr Don Wee asked how many appeals have been made, approved, and the guidelines used by the Ministry for waiving the 15-month wait-out period for divorced private property owners who initiated divorce proceedings before September 2022 and plan to buy a resale HDB flat.
Minister Desmond Lee confirmed that about 120 appeals were received from such individuals between September 30 and November 30, 2022.
Out of 64 processed appeals, approximately 52% were successful, and the remaining appeals are being reviewed progressively.
HDB evaluates each appeal case-by-case based on factors such as commitments made to purchase a resale flat before September 2022 and whether the appellant is in financial difficulties with no viable housing options.
The wait-out period is a temporary cooling measure to moderate demand for resale flats, affecting private property owners and ex-owners before they can buy non-subsidised resale flats.

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10 Jan 2023

Proposal to Require Private Residential Property Developers to Incorporate Multi-purpose Hall in Condominium Developments

MP Gan Thiam Poh asked whether the Ministry would mandate developers to include multi-purpose halls in condominiums for resident functions like private wakes without inconveniencing others.
Minister Desmond Lee stated that URA already incentivizes communal spaces via a bonus GFA scheme, and most developers provide such facilities usable for wakes if the MCST permits.
He noted alternative venues for wakes include purpose-built funeral parlours and places of worship.

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10 Jan 2023

Children and Young Persons Living in Public Rental Flats at Point of Admission into Places of Safety from 2018 to 2021

Louis Ng asked the Ministry for Social and Family Development for the percentage of children and young persons admitted to places of safety from 2018 to 2021 who lived in public rental flats, and whether the Ministry would collect this data if unavailable.
Masagos Zulkifli provided data showing the percentage of CYPs in public rental flats at the point of admission to places of safety for each year from 2018 to 2021.
The data includes admissions to all places of safety, including juvenile homes like Singapore Boys' Home and Singapore Girls' Home.
The response indicates that MSF already collects and tracks this information, addressing the query about data availability.
The debate highlights the Ministry’s transparency and ongoing monitoring of vulnerable children’s housing situations upon entering care facilities.

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10 Jan 2023

Breakdown of Government Land Sales Revenue by Usage

Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim asked the Minister for Law for the proportion of Government land sales revenue attributed to commercial, industrial, private residential, and public residential (HDB) sites over the past five years.
The Minister stated that state land sales to the private sector under the Government Land Sales Programme averaged $5.5 billion annually from FY2017 to FY2021, with detailed tender data available on agency websites.
Sales to HDB for public housing do not fall under the GLS and should be referenced through HDB’s annual financial statements.
Proceeds from land sales are converted from physical land reserves into monetary reserves and cannot be used by the Government, as state land is part of past reserves.
The Government Land Sales Programme includes commercial, industrial, private residential, mixed-use, and other site types, with sales conducted by HDB, URA, and JTC Corporation.

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10 Jan 2023

Households in Arrears of HDB Loan Repayments

Sylvia Lim asked how many households were in HDB loan arrears over the last two years and whether households with flat owners over 55 were over-represented.
As of end 2022, 16,200 households (6% of all HDB loan households) were in mortgage arrears of three months or more, down from 18,200 (6.5%) at end 2021.
About half of these arrears households had at least one flat owner aged 55 or above, though three-quarters of households with such owners had fully paid off their loans.
HDB offers one-on-one financial counselling, temporary payment reductions or deferrals, loan tenure extensions, and referrals to other agencies for those in need.
For prolonged difficulties, HDB helps explore long-term solutions like including working adult children as joint owners or right-sizing to a more affordable flat.

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10 Jan 2023

Proceeds Paid by HDB for Land for Public Housing

Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim asked whether HDB's payments to SLA for public housing land generate net revenue and, if so, the average annual net revenue over the past five years.
Lawrence Wong explained that state land sold to HDB is a conversion from a physical to a financial asset, with proceeds protected as past reserves and not available as revenue for the Budget.
Consequently, there is no net revenue available for spending from HDB's land payments for public housing development.

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10 Jan 2023

Time-limited Rental Subsidy for Applicants who Qualify for Parenthood Provisional Housing Scheme and Public Rental Scheme

The government will not provide a time-limited rental subsidy for applicants under the Parenthood Provisional Housing Scheme and Public Rental Scheme, citing concerns that such subsidies could increase demand and drive up market rents.
HDB already expedites flat allocation for applicants with urgent needs, such as medical grounds or exceptional circumstances, and offers Interim Rental Housing on a case-by-case basis for low-income households with no other options.
Supply for the Parenthood Provisional Housing Scheme is being increased but remains limited, and families are currently directed to the open rental market for temporary housing.

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10 Jan 2023

Presence of Halal Vendors as Factor in Price-quality Method used for HDB Tenancies for Precinct Supermarkets and Coffee Shops

Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim questioned whether halal vendor inclusion is part of HDB's price-quality method for tenancies, which component of the quality score it falls under, and how halal options are ensured if not.
He also asked if affordability criteria are monitored after the initial award and how HDB ensures coffeeshops maintain affordable pricing.
HDB explained that the price-quality method focuses on quality tenants with an emphasis on affordable food and groceries, with budget options monitored through inspections and tenancy reviews.
New coffeeshop operators must offer budget meals at around $3, and supermarkets must provide budget options in 20 essential categories, with compliance tracked.
Halal food options are ensured by requiring at least one halal food stall in new HDB coffeeshops, a rule introduced in 2005.

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10 Jan 2023

Regulation of Rental Prices of HDB Flats Given Uptrend

Yip Hon Weng asked if the Ministry plans to regulate rising HDB rental prices and improve rental rules to help Singaporeans access the rental market.
Desmond Lee stated that rental prices are determined by private agreements and influenced by market factors, and HDB does not interfere but provides median rental data for transparency.
The Non-Citizen quota is used to limit foreign tenants and ensure Singaporeans have better access to HDB rentals.
The Ministry will monitor housing and rental market conditions and review policies to meet Singaporeans' housing needs.

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10 Jan 2023

Clarification by Minister for National Development

Mr Desmond Lee clarified that MP Leong Mun Wai referenced a post from 8 December 2022 about historical land costs under the Land Acquisition Act for the Pioneer Generation.
The minister noted that MP Leong had questioned the inclusion of land costs in HDB valuations and asked for them to be removed.
Mr Lee stated he was placing the exact reference on record to address the earlier exchange in Parliament.

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10 Jan 2023

Housing and Development (Amendment) Bill

The Bill amends the Housing and Development Act to extend the Revitalisation of Shops (ROS) scheme to include upgrading works for HDB commercial sites, allowing such works to proceed with 75% support from shop owners instead of the previous 100% requirement.
It simplifies administrative processes by removing the requirement to state specific dates in HDB notices and introduces email as an additional option for serving notices, while ensuring safeguards for appeals.
The amendments aim to rejuvenate heartland shops, support local merchants, and balance community needs with operational practicality, addressing concerns about fairness, cost recovery, and inclusivity raised by Members of Parliament.

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