Housing & estates — Topics

3 Aug 2021

Electric Vehicle Common Charger Grant for Condominiums and Private Apartments with Less than 100 Parking Lots

Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked if the Electric Vehicle Common Charger Grant applies to condominiums and private apartments with fewer than 100 parking lots.
The Minister for Transport, S Iswaran, confirmed that the grant is indeed applicable to such properties.
The debate clarified eligibility, ensuring smaller residential developments can access support for EV charging infrastructure.

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3 Aug 2021

Annual Range, Median and Average Commission Paid by Housing Developers to Appointed Sales Agents

The Government does not collect data on the range, median, or average commissions paid by housing developers to sales agents, as these are private contractual arrangements and disclosure is not required.
There are no current plans to regulate or mandate disclosure of such commissions, with the Ministry of National Development and URA confirming they do not collect this specific data.
The URA engages developers regularly for market monitoring but does not obtain or provide feedback on commission rates, as these remain a private matter between developers and agents.

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2 Aug 2021

Measures Adopted by NParks to Control Population of Birds in HDB Housing Estates

NParks manages bird populations in HDB estates using a science-based approach that includes habitat modification, such as directional pruning of trees and replacing tree species to deter roosting.
The agency works with Town Councils and other agencies to reduce food sources by promoting proper waste management and enforcing against littering and illegal bird-feeding.
NParks studies bird ecology, like roosting patterns, to inform strategies and continues collaborating with partners to address noise disturbances and other disamenities.

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2 Aug 2021

Expectation of Fifth Consecutive Quarter Rise in Private Property Prices and Plans to Manage Trend

Sitoh Yih Pin asked whether private property prices are expected to rise for a fifth consecutive quarter and if the government plans to manage this trend.
Desmond Lee noted that price increases have slowed, with a 0.8% rise in Q2 2021 compared to 3.3% in Q1 2021, driven by broad housing demand and low interest rates.
The government aims to ensure a stable and sustainable property market where prices align with economic fundamentals.
Authorities continue to monitor economic and property market conditions closely.
No specific new measures were announced, but the focus remains on maintaining market stability.

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2 Aug 2021

Measures to Ensure Sufficient Infant Care Centres, Child Care Centres and Kindergarten Places in Each Constituency

ECDA plans for preschool demand by Planning Area, using demographic and enrollment data to coordinate with agencies like HDB and URA to develop new centers in housing projects and on government land.
As demand changes, ECDA regularly reviews plans and works with preschools and HDB to expand facilities in community spaces or vacant land, with a focus on areas with high demand like Punggol and Sengkang.
The government has increased full-day childcare places by 50% since 2015, to about 190,000 places, and will add 10,000 more full-day places by 2023, mainly in new housing developments.
For half-day kindergarten services, accessible and affordable options are provided by Anchor Operators and MOE, with the number of MOE Kindergartens set to grow from 36 to about 60 by 2025.
ECDA continuously monitors and adapts to factors like COVID-19 and changing family needs to ensure adequate preschool provision across all Planning Areas.

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27 Jul 2021

Current Number and Proportion of HDB Flats with Multi-step Main Entrances Broken Down by Decade of Construction

Dr Tan Wu Meng asked the Minister for National Development for the current number and proportion of HDB flats with multi-step main entrances, broken down by decade of construction.
Desmond Lee explained that some older HDB flats from the 1970s and 1980s were designed with multi-step entrances to raise windows above eye level for privacy.
Approximately 170,000 HDB flats, representing 17% of all HDB flats, have multi-step entrances.
The minister provided a table showing the breakdown of these flats by decade of completion, though the specific numbers per decade were not detailed in the speech.
The response highlights that multi-step entrances are primarily a feature of earlier HDB developments, with a significant proportion still existing today.

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27 Jul 2021

Current Average Waiting Time to Complete Goodwill Repair Assistance Cases and Ways to Expedite Process

The average waiting time to complete Goodwill Repair Assistance (GRA) cases is currently between four and six months due to industry-wide construction worker shortages and COVID-19 safe management measures.
HDB prioritises urgent or critical works and co-pays 50% of repair costs, with the remaining cost shared between affected residents depending on the issue type.
Residents can engage private contractors from an HDB-provided list to expedite repairs and may seek financial assistance from grassroots organisations or CDCs if needed.

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27 Jul 2021

Reasons for Large Numbers of Malays Moving to 3-room or Smaller HDB Flats

The proportion of Malay households living in 1- and 2-room HDB flats rose from 8.7% in 2010 to 16% in 2020, driven by an increase in public rental supply and more Malay buyers purchasing smaller flats.
Factors include more young families, seniors, and those facing financial or family changes entering public rental, as well as singles and seniors buying 2-room flats due to policy changes and right-sizing.
The government has enhanced housing grants, support schemes, and community initiatives like ComLink and M3 to help families transition from rental to home ownership, with many Malay households already benefiting.
The Malay community has seen progress in education, employment, and income, which supports better housing outcomes, and ongoing efforts aim to further uplift lower-income and vulnerable families.

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27 Jul 2021

Proposal for BTO Ballot System to Automatically Flag Out Applicants' Eligibility for Relevant Priority Schemes

The BTO ballot system automatically flags applicants for the Parenthood Priority Scheme without requiring a separate application, but other schemes like the Married Child Priority Scheme and Third Child Priority Scheme require applicants to apply themselves due to compliance conditions.
Applicants must submit a new application for each BTO exercise, but can use MyInfo to pre-fill details from previous applications and only submit documents during the flat booking appointment.
Eligible parties can expect to receive balloting outcomes within three weeks after the application period closes.

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27 Jul 2021

Average Waiting Time for BTO Flats in Mature Estates for First- and Second-time Owners, and Applicants who Failed in Past Ballots

Yip Hon Weng asked for the average waiting time for BTO flats in mature estates for first- and second-timers and those who have failed multiple ballots, as well as the mean, modal, and median number of attempts for non-mature estate applications.
Desmond Lee stated that tracking waiting times for mature estate BTO flats is not meaningful due to high demand, limited supply, and applicants not applying consecutively or switching to non-mature estates.
HDB has increased the proportion of BTO projects in mature estates from 44% in 2017 to 55% in 2020 to address demand, but applicants are encouraged to consider non-mature estates for better chances.
First-timer families unsuccessful in two or more non-mature estate BTO applications receive an additional ballot chance, with mean, mode, and median attempts between 2019 and Q3 2020 all around 1.
Eligible first-timer families can also consider resale flats with housing grants of up to $160,000 as an alternative.

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27 Jul 2021

Increasing Proportion of BTO Flats within Mature Estates for Married Child Priority Scheme to Facilitate Inter-generational Familial Support

Tin Pei Ling asked if the proportion of BTO flats under the Married Child Priority Scheme (MCPS) in mature estates could be increased to support inter-generational living, highlighting young couples' desire for proximity to parents.
The Minister for National Development replied that 30% of new flat supply in mature estates is already set aside for MCPS, but increasing this is not feasible now due to competing housing needs for other groups like first-timer families and those with multiple children.
The Minister noted HDB has increased BTO launches in mature estates from 44% in 2017 to 55% last year and suggested resale flat buyers use the Proximity Housing Grant up to $30,000 to live near family.
Tin Pei Ling followed up with supplementary questions on the average excess demand for MCPS flats and the potential impact on housing estate composition if the proportion were increased, but the Minister deferred the data request to a written question and reiterated the existing stance.

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26 Jul 2021

Demand and Availability of Rental Flats under Parenthood Provisional Housing Scheme

Leong Mun Wai asked about the total supply, yearly demand over the last five years, and the percentage of demand met for rental flats under the Parenthood Provisional Housing Scheme (PPHS).
Desmond Lee explained that PPHS supply is limited to about 840 flats as of June 2021, with demand rising since 2020 due to construction delays and increased competition for rentals.
About half of PPHS applicants since 2020 did not select a flat when offered, indicating that not all have urgent housing needs or may have alternative options.
The government is considering refining allocation to prioritize families in greater need and exploring ways to increase PPHS supply to better support flat buyers requiring temporary housing.
HDB may offer interim rental housing on a case-by-case basis to low-income households with no other housing options while longer-term measures are developed.

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26 Jul 2021

Number of HDB Flats Installed with Elderly Monitoring System, Its Average Yearly Activation Rate and Plans to Upgrade or Expand System

HDB does not track the total number of flats with the Elderly Monitoring System, as residents can purchase and install the system directly from commercial vendors.
The average yearly activation rate is not available, as HDB does not collect this data from the commercial service providers.
HDB has incorporated lessons from the earlier "My Smart HDB Home @ Yuhua" trial into the HDB Smart Enabled Home Initiative, which provides digital infrastructure to support smart home solutions like the EMS in new developments.
Residents, especially those in 2-room Flexi flats, are provided with information on commercial EMS providers through appointment letters and HDB's InfoWeb.
HDB is expanding its smart home readiness by equipping new flats, such as Northshore Residences, with smart distribution boards to facilitate the adoption of solutions like the EMS.

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26 Jul 2021

Ethnic Breakdown for All HDB Neighbourhoods in Percentage Terms on Annual Basis at 31 December Each Year Since 1989

Pritam Singh requested detailed annual ethnic breakdowns for all HDB neighbourhoods since 1989, the number of blocks exceeding EIP limits each year, and the count of HDB flat purchases affected by EIP since 1989.
Desmond Lee explained the EIP mechanism, noting that when a limit is reached, sellers from unaffected groups cannot sell to affected groups, while affected-group sellers can sell to any group.
Due to the large scale and long timeframe, the Ministry provided aggregated five-yearly statistics on affected neighbourhoods and blocks instead of the requested annual data.
HDB accepted voluntary flat surrenders without tracking EIP reasons until 2000, after which it stopped accepting surrenders for flats eligible for open market resale.

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26 Jul 2021

Number of First-timer Applicants Who Failed to Secure a BTO Flat in Non-mature Estates after Their First, Second and Third Attempts for Each Year Since 2019

Miss Rachel Ong asked the Minister for National Development for data on the number of first-timer applicants who failed to secure a BTO flat in non-mature estates after their first, second, and third attempts each year since 2019.
Minister Desmond Lee provided figures for 2019 and 2020, noting they include applicants who were unsuccessful in BTO exercises but could have been successful in other non-mature estate applications and chose not to select a flat.
The response did not include data for years beyond 2020, and the focus was on non-mature estate BTO exercises specifically.

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26 Jul 2021

Priority Scheme for First-timer Applicants for BTO Flats in Non-mature Estates Who Failed Three or More Times

Miss Rachel Ong proposed a priority scheme for first-timer BTO applicants in non-mature estates who have failed three or more times to prevent application errors.
Minister Desmond Lee stated that first-timer families already receive enhanced ballot chances and that nearly all succeed within three attempts, so no new scheme is needed.
HDB offers guidance through its InfoWEB and customer service channels, allowing applicants to seek help with their applications and processes.

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26 Jul 2021

Number of Single Unwed Parents Helped Via HDB's Website Dedicated to Addressing Their Common Housing Queries

From September 2019 to June 2021, HDB approved requests from about 190 single unwed parents to apply for a new flat, with about two-thirds successful in their applications.
Of the successful new flat applicants, half have booked a flat, a quarter did not book when invited, and the remainder are awaiting their booking appointment.
HDB also approved requests from about 55 single unwed parents below age 35 to buy a resale flat, with half completing their purchase.
During the same period, HDB approved about 380 applications from single unwed parents to rent a flat under the Public Rental Scheme.
HDB will continue to review each request holistically and provide housing assistance in the best interest of the children.

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26 Jul 2021

Breakdown of Inpatient Admission Rates and Outpatient Attendance Rates of Singaporean HDB Residents over Age 65 by Flat Type and Residents with Barrier-free Access from Their Homes to Lift Landings

Dr Tan Wu Meng asked the Minister for Health for statistics on outpatient and inpatient service utilisation rates among HDB residents aged 65 and above, broken down by flat type and over the past three years, and for data on barrier-free home-to-lift access.
The Minister responded that service utilisation rates have generally remained stable, with residents of smaller HDB flats showing higher use of inpatient and polyclinic services but lower use of specialist outpatient clinics.
The Government has ensured barrier-free access in new HDB estates and upgraded most blocks via the Lift Upgrading Programme, while offering a Lift Access Housing Grant for the remaining flats without direct lift access.

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26 Jul 2021

Number of Cases of Women and Their Children Seeking Help and Receiving Shelter from Family Service Centres and Family Violence Specialist Centres in Past Three Years

Over the past three years, an average of 180 family violence cases involving women and children were admitted to crisis shelters annually, with the majority referred by Family Service Centres or Family Violence Specialist Centres.
The average duration of stay in crisis shelters varies yearly, with residents discharged once safe alternative accommodation is secured, such as staying with family or returning to their own flats.
A small proportion of residents move to public rental housing or transitional shelters upon discharge, though specific yearly breakdowns of these transitions are not tracked by the shelters.

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26 Jul 2021

Deployment of Blue Recycling Bins in Private Condominiums and Amount of Recyclables Collected Per Year

Dr Shahira Abdullah queried the number of blue recycling bins in private condominiums, the requirements for their collection, and the annual volume of recyclables collected.
The Minister clarified that over 9,000 recycling bins are deployed in condominiums and private apartments, with bins provided to those on the Public Waste Collection scheme and others required to arrange their own collection.
About 750 tonnes of recyclables are collected annually from condominiums on the Public Waste Collection scheme, though data for those opting out is unavailable.

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