Housing & estates — Topics

20 Oct 2022

Number of Former Permanent Residents Required to Dispose of HDB Flats to Date

Leong Mun Wai asked the Minister for National Development for the number of former Permanent Residents required to dispose of HDB flats after renouncing PR or staying abroad without a re-entry permit.
Desmond Lee stated that former SPRs who cease to be SPRs must relinquish their HDB flat ownership or face compulsory acquisition by HDB.
As of 30 September 2022, about 90 flat owners (less than 0.01% of all HDB flat owners) had ceased to be SPRs in 2022 and were pending disposal of their flats.

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20 Oct 2022

Number of Bedrooms in HDB Flats Owned by Permanent Residents Rented Out in Last 10 Years

Leong Mun Wai asked for the number of bedrooms in HDB flats owned by Permanent Residents that were rented out each year over the past decade.
The Minister for National Development clarified that while Singapore Citizens can rent out entire flats after the Minimum Occupation Period, Permanent Residents cannot, but both can rent out spare bedrooms in larger flats while living there.
Before May 2018, no approval was needed for bedroom rentals, so data prior to that date is unavailable; the Ministry provided annual figures from 2018 onward for Permanent Residents.

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20 Oct 2022

Flats Eligible for HDB's Home Improvement Programme

About 30% (70,000) of the 230,000 flats built between 1987 and 1997 have been announced for the Home Improvement Programme (HIP).
As of September 2022, HIP was ongoing for about 54,300 flats across 51 precincts, with 300 flats completed.
Selections will continue progressively, with pace affected by COVID-19 and the government's fiscal position.
The government aims to complete the programme within its original 10-year projection.

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20 Oct 2022

Annual Applications for HDB Rental Flats from Single Unwed Parents Below Age 21

Ms Poh Li San inquired about the annual number of HDB rental flat applications from single unwed parents under 21, their outcomes, reasons for rejection, and whether data collection would start.
Desmond Lee stated that applications are assessed holistically, with case-by-case consideration for those with insufficient finances, prioritizing the child's best interests and social worker input.
From 2018 to August 2022, HDB received 58 such applications, with about 30% successful, often due to family support or incomplete information.

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20 Oct 2022

Provision of Stable Temporary Housing for Unwed Parents and Victim-survivors of Family Violence

The Minister noted that HDB does not separately track waiting times for divorced or unwed parents, with the average wait for a public rental flat being about eight months, and it will expedite allocations for those in urgent need due to family violence.
Social services provide immediate shelter options through Transitional Shelters and Crisis Shelters for unwed parents and family violence survivors, with no cap on stay duration and support to secure longer-term housing.
The government encourages reliance on existing family and friend support networks to minimize disruption, but highlighted that those in need should contact Social Service Offices, Family Service Centres, or the ComCare hotline for help.

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20 Oct 2022

Proportion of Private Home Residents Located within Eldercare Centre Service Boundary

Leon Perera asked the Minister for Health about the proportion of private home residents, including cash-poor elderly in long-owned properties, currently and projected to be within eldercare centre service boundaries, with a specific query on the Serangoon Gardens estate.
Ong Ye Kung responded that about 17% of seniors in private housing estates are currently within Active Ageing Centre (AAC) service boundaries, with plans to more than double this proportion by 2025 through expanding to 220 AACs.
The Minister confirmed there is currently no AAC for Serangoon Gardens, but MOH is expanding AAC coverage to include seniors in that estate.

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20 Oct 2022

Annual Unique Applicants for Transitional Shelters and Average Duration of Stay

In 2021, 860 unique applicants applied for transitional shelters, which was higher than the annual average of 420 from 2018 to 2020 and the 660 in 2022, partly due to COVID-19 pandemic factors.
The average duration of stay in transitional shelters was about six months from 2018 to 2020 and increased to about eight months from 2021 to 2022.
Applicants are predominantly male (68%) with an average age of 50, and upon discharge, they typically move to public rental housing, open market rental housing, purchase their own homes, stay with family or friends, or return to their original homes after travel restrictions were lifted.

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20 Oct 2022

Percentage of Fire Incidents in HDB Flats Affecting Neighbouring Units

Miss Rachel Ong asked the Minister for Home Affairs for the percentage of HDB fire incidents that spread to or affect neighbouring units.
From January 2020 to September 2022, there were 2,441 HDB fire incidents, with only three involving vertical fire spread affecting up to two floors above, and no cases of lateral fire spread across units.
Less than 5% of HDB fire incidents since January 2020 resulted in smoke inhalation injuries to residents in both the affected unit and neighbouring units.

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20 Oct 2022

Percentage of Private Residential Properties with Outstanding Mortgage Loans

About 63% of owners of private residential properties had outstanding mortgage loans as of Q2 2022, with an average loan-to-value ratio of 44.3%.
Approximately 75% of outstanding mortgage loans were for owner-occupied properties and 25% for investment properties as of August 2022.
The data reflects the latest available figures provided by the Prime Minister in response to parliamentary questions on private housing mortgage trends.

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20 Oct 2022

Borrowers on Fixed and Floating Rate Mortgages for HDB and Private Residential Properties

Chua Kheng Wee Louis asked for the percentage of borrowers on fixed versus floating rate mortgages for HDB and private residential properties.
Tharman Shanmugaratnam, for the Prime Minister, stated that as of Q2 2022, about 20% of HDB loans were floating rate, with 80% on rates linked to board or fixed deposit rates or fixed for initial years.
For private residential properties, about 37% of loans were floating rate, while the remaining 63% were on similar linked or fixed-rate packages.

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20 Oct 2022

Reasons for Government's Venture into Private Sector Space of Construction of Migrant Worker Dormitories

Seah Kian Peng raised concerns about the government's new migrant worker dormitories potentially crowding out private operators and questioned the reasons for government involvement in a private sector space.
Tan See Leng explained that the government's purpose is to drive innovation and improve public health resilience and liveability in migrant worker housing.
He clarified that the two government-built dormitories represent a small fraction of over 50 private-operated ones, ensuring no significant crowding out of private operators.
The government will continue to tender new dormitories based on workforce needs, maintaining private sector involvement.
Further details were referenced from a MOM launch event in October 2022.

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20 Oct 2022

Data on Completed but Unoccupied HDB Flats

Chua Kheng Wee Louis asked for data on unoccupied HDB units over the past five years, with definitions aligned to URA’s private property vacancy standards.
Desmond Lee responded that the annual average number of unoccupied HDB units ranged from about 1,400 to 3,900.
He noted that these vacant units represent approximately 0.1% to 0.4% of all completed HDB flats.
The minister highlighted that similar data had been provided to Parliament on 4 October 2021 and 13 September 2022 in response to the member’s earlier questions.

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20 Oct 2022

Requiring Home Owners to Sell HDB Flat if They Wish to Purchase Private Property and Vice Versa

Yip Hon Weng proposed requiring HDB flat owners to sell their flat before buying private property and vice versa.
The Ministry explained that HDB owners can buy private property after the Minimum Occupation Period but must pay Additional Buyer’s Stamp Duty if they retain their HDB flat.
Private property owners are already required to dispose of their property before buying an HDB flat to prioritize public housing for those without other properties.
Private property owners face a waiting period of 15 to 30 months before purchasing an HDB flat, depending on the type of flat and purchase date.
The government will continue monitoring housing market conditions to ensure affordable public housing for Singaporeans.

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20 Oct 2022

Adjustments to Plan to Launch 100,000 HDB BTO Flats from 2021 to 2025

Member Chua Kheng Wee Louis asked whether additional HDB BTO flat launches beyond the 100,000 target from 2021 to 2025 are possible if demand exceeds projections and what constraints prevent this.
Minister Desmond Lee highlighted strong, broad-based housing demand due to demographic trends and post-pandemic household formation, with more couples and singles seeking independent living.
HDB has increased BTO supply, launching 23,000 flats in 2022 and planning the same for 2023, representing a 35% rise from the previous year.
The government remains committed to launching up to 100,000 flats from 2021 to 2025 if needed and will continue monitoring demand to adjust supply accordingly.
No immediate additional sites were specified for expansion beyond the current plan, indicating reliance on existing measures and flexibility within the projected framework.

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20 Oct 2022

Decision on HDB Mortgage Loan Rate amidst Rising Interest Rate Environment

Ms Foo Mee Har asked whether HDB would raise its mortgage loan rate beyond 2.6% after December 2022, given rising interest rates from financial institutions.
Minister Desmond Lee explained that HDB's rate is pegged 0.10% above the CPF Ordinary Account rate to cover administrative costs.
The current rate of 2.6% will hold until 31 December 2022, with quarterly reviews aligned to CPF OA rate adjustments.

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20 Oct 2022

Affordability of Executive Condominiums for HDB Upgraders

The Minister for National Development explained that the Executive Condominium (EC) scheme aims to provide affordable private housing for higher-income Singaporeans, with eligibility restrictions like a $16,000 income ceiling and a CPF grant of up to $30,000 for first-timer families to ensure affordability.
To moderate housing prices, the government has tightened financial measures, including lowering the total debt servicing ratio threshold to 55% and raising the interest rate floor for loan calculations to encourage prudence.
The government monitors market conditions and adjusts the supply of ECs through land sales programs based on factors like unsold stock and demand, ensuring the scheme remains relevant for housing needs.

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20 Oct 2022

Data on HDB Flat Owners with Second Property

Dr Shahira Abdullah inquired about the percentage of HDB flat owners with second private properties, changes over the past five years, and the percentage of HDB flats rented out to third parties.
Minister Desmond Lee stated that as of September 2022, approximately 3.3% of HDB flat owners owned at least one private property, a decrease of about 0.5 percentage points over the last five years.
The minister also noted that about 5% of HDB sold flats were rented out to third parties as of September 2022.
The debate highlighted that HDB flat owners can purchase private property and rent out their flats after fulfilling the Minimum Occupation Period.

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20 Oct 2022

Applicants who Fail to Obtain HDB Flats under Parenthood Provisional Housing Scheme Following Revision in Eligibility Conditions

Murali Pillai asked about the number of eligible applicants unable to get PPHS flats after eligibility conditions were tightened in August 2021, and whether HDB could provide public rental flats or grants as interim housing amid tight supply.
Desmond Lee stated that since August 2021, about 1,930 eligible families applied, with 330 allocated flats, 250 declining invitations, and 1,350 unsuccessful, noting increased demand due to COVID-19 and a planned supply increase from 800 in 2021 to 1,800 in 2023.
HDB encourages applicants to seek other housing options, stating that providing grants could drive up market rents, and thus has no plans to offer PPHS flats from the open market or rental grants.
Low-income households with no alternatives may seek case-by-case assistance from HDB for Interim Rental Housing.

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20 Oct 2022

Allotment of Upcoming Electric Vehicle Charging Points in HDB Car Parks for Vehicle Owners and for Rental Service Providers

Saktiandi Supaat inquired about the percentage of the 12,000 EV charging points in HDB carparks allocated for rental services versus private owners.
S Iswaran responded that the charging points under the tender are publicly accessible and not reserved exclusively for any vehicle segment.
The debate highlighted concerns about equitable access to charging infrastructure for different user groups.

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20 Oct 2022

Setting Total Debt Servicing Ratio Medium-term Interest Rate Floor at 4% Per Annum

MAS raised the medium-term interest rate floor to 4% for residential property loans based on assessments of future market interest rates, referencing the rise in the three-month compounded SORA and the historical average of mortgage rates in the 1990s and 2000s.
The rate floor ensures borrowers maintain prudential debt servicing ability, with financial institutions assessing affordability at the higher floor during low-rate periods and using the highest applicable rate during high-rate periods.
Market forward prices suggest SORA-based mortgage rates could rise further in 2023 before easing but remaining above the low levels seen in the past decade, prompting MAS to urge household caution on debt commitments.

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