Housing & estates — Topics

14 Oct 2020

Update on Plan to Provide 28,000 Electric Vehicle Charging Points by 2030

The government plans to increase electric vehicle charging points from 1,700 to 28,000 by 2030 to support phasing out combustion engine vehicles by 2040.
About two-thirds of the charging points will be in HDB estates, with studies showing 400 of 1,200 carparks can immediately support overnight charging while others need upgrades.
The remaining points will be in government-owned locations like offices or roadside carparks, excluding private installations, which could lead to a ratio of eight EVs per charging point by 2030.
Agencies are reviewing the plan to incorporate commercial efforts and improve the EV-to-charging-point ratio, with details to be announced later.

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14 Oct 2020

Number of Singles Who Have Bought HDB Resale Flats

From 2015 to 2019, singles bought an average of about 6,000 HDB resale flats per year, out of around 22,000 total resale transactions annually.
Approximately 46% of these flats purchased by singles were 3-room or smaller, 39% were 4-room, and 15% were 5-room or larger.
The figures cover singles buying under the Single Singapore Citizen Scheme or the Joint Singles Scheme.
The breakdown provides a five-year snapshot of resale flat purchases by singles.
The information was presented in response to a parliamentary question by Mr Gan Thiam Poh.

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14 Oct 2020

Take-up Rate for 2-room HDB Flexi Flats in First Half of 2020

About 1,000 2-room HDB Flexi flats were launched in the first half of 2020, with 80% booked, of which over 90% were taken by seniors and singles.
An additional 1,800 units were launched in the August 2020 Build-To-Order exercise to further meet housing needs.
The Ministry will continue monitoring the market to ensure flat supply remains responsive to population demands.

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14 Oct 2020

Pricing Policy of HDB's BTO Flats

Gan Thiam Poh questioned HDB's BTO pricing policy, including its use of average mean income over market price, differences between mature and non-mature estates, and plans to address pent-up demand from high resale prices.
The Minister explained that HDB prices BTO flats at a significant subsidy below market value, offers an Enhanced CPF Housing Grant of up to $80,000, and maintains a consistent pricing approach across estate types, keeping prices under five times median income.
He noted that only 0.3% of resale transactions this year exceeded $1 million, representing a small minority, and the government monitors the market to ensure affordability and adjusts BTO supply based on demand.

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6 Oct 2020

Households Requesting Rent and Arrears Assistance and Percentage Helped from January to July 2020

He Ting Ru asked about the number of households requesting rent assistance from January to July 2020 who already had rent arrears and the percentage assisted, based on an average of 370 requests per month.
Desmond Lee replied that about a quarter of the requesting households had rent arrears at the time of request.
For both households with and without arrears, approximately two-thirds received rent assistance, while the rest were either assessed as able to afford rent or did not follow up after initial contact.
HDB also proactively assists tenants, such as by reducing rents upon notification from Social Service Offices if tenants are found to need help through ComCare assessments, with full rent coverage available if needed.

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6 Oct 2020

More Legislative Power to Evict and Blacklist Disturbing Neighbours for Disputes that Cannot be Resolved

Don Wee asked if HDB needs more legislative power to evict and blacklist residents who disturb neighbours when other dispute resolution avenues fail.
Desmond Lee emphasized the importance of neighbourliness and outlined existing community-based and legal avenues for resolving disputes, including mediation and tribunal processes.
He acknowledged that some cases remain intractable despite these options, but cautioned that eviction and blacklisting are not always appropriate solutions due to the impact on residents and potential transfer of problems.
The Government will study improvements to handle such difficult cases as part of an ongoing review of the dispute management framework.

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6 Oct 2020

Engineering Solutions to Improve Lift Access to Affected Units in Keat Hong

HDB is continuing to explore engineering solutions for blocks like those in Keat Hong that remain without direct lift access due to technical or cost constraints, while cost and technical feasibility remain key criteria for the Lift Upgrading Programme.
The government has introduced the Lift Access Housing Grant of up to $30,000 to assist residents with medical or mobility issues in moving to flats with direct lift access.
The inability to provide lift access is not a factor considered for the Selective En bloc Redevelopment Scheme, which instead evaluates redevelopment potential, availability of replacement sites, and financial resources.

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6 Oct 2020

HDB Flats Rented out to Foreigners by Owners Who Rely on Rental Income for Retirement or Loan Servicing

Minister Desmond Lee stated that about 58,900 HDB flats, or 6% of all sold flats, are rented out, with 52,200 rented to non-residents.
Among these flat owners, 20% have an outstanding HDB housing loan to service.
About 12% of owners rent out their flats to supplement retirement income, while others do so for reasons like family care arrangements.

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6 Oct 2020

Education and Housing Support Available to Young Men and Women out of Residential Boys' or Girls' Homes

Christopher de Souza asked about the education and housing support available to young adults leaving residential boys' or girls' homes.
MSF explained that its Youth Homes focus on family reintegration, with programmes to restore parent-child relationships and prepare residents for independent living, including guidance on education, employment, and rental or hostel options.
During their stay, children continue attending school, with some receiving on-site lessons or returning to their original schools, while older youth can access vocational studies and support for post-discharge education or employment.
Post-care support is provided for up to a year to help residents transition into the community, including assistance with housing, job placements, and further education.

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6 Oct 2020

Take-up Rate of Lift Access Housing Grant

The Lift Upgrading Programme has enabled direct lift access for most of the original 5,300 HDB blocks, with about 150 blocks still facing technical or cost constraints.
The Lift Access Housing Grant of up to $30,000 was introduced in March to assist residents with medical or mobility issues in purchasing a new or resale flat with direct lift access.
As of August 2020, HDB received 17 applications for the grant, approved seven, and is assessing the remaining 10.
There are currently no plans to expand the scheme, but the government will monitor take-up rates and review if enhancements are needed.

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6 Oct 2020

Help for Contractors Faced With Dormitory Constraints or Higher Temporary Living Quarter Costs

Miss Cheryl Chan asked the Minister for Manpower about support for contractors facing dormitory shortages and doubled costs for foreign worker housing.
The government moved workers to temporary sites, increased construction of temporary quarters, and reduced dormitory occupancy by 30% to lower COVID-19 risks.
New quick-built and contractor-built dormitories will add 60,000 beds to stabilize rental prices, which have remained stable overall despite some higher asking rents.

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6 Oct 2020

Unsold Units in HDB's Sale of Balance Flats and Open Booking Exercises

Mr Chong Kee Hiong asked about the number of HDB Sale of Balance and open booking flats unsold for over two years in the last three years, the reasons for this, and whether the Ethnic Integration Policy could be lifted for such flats.
As of 30 September 2020, only two flats remained unselected for more than two years since their first offer, with reasons including the Ethnic Integration Policy, personal preferences, and flat attributes like location or layout.
The Ministry has no plans to lift the Ethnic Integration Policy for unselected flats due to the small number of such flats and the policy's importance in maintaining racial harmony and social cohesion.

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6 Oct 2020

Number of Appeals Received from HDB Flat Owners for Waiver of Ethnic Integration Policy

In 2017 to 2019, HDB received about 530, 690, and 630 appeals respectively from flat owners to waive the Ethnic Integration Policy, with Chinese owners making up 16% of appeals, Malay owners 25%, and Indian or other ethnic groups 59%.
The success rate for these appeals increased from 8% in 2017 to 18% in 2019.
HDB approved over 900 time extensions per year on average from 2017 to 2019 for flat owners to sell their flats, though reasons were not tracked in detail.
The Minister did not provide data on how many flats remained unsold at the end of time extensions, as HDB does not track this specific outcome.

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6 Oct 2020

Causes of Overcrowding in Some HDB Rental Flats

Murali Pillai proposed a study to find the causes of overcrowding in HDB rental flats and identify solutions.
Desmond Lee stated that less than 10% of rental households have more than four members, and HDB offers options like 3-room flats or two units in the same block for larger families.
The government is exploring further support for rental households through initiatives like ComLink and the Home ownership Support Team to improve stability and mobility.

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6 Oct 2020

Demand for HDB Flats by Flat Type

From 2015 to 2019, HDB built varying numbers of each flat type in non-mature and mature estates, with 4-room flats being the most constructed in both areas.
The average BTO subscription rates for all flat types were generally higher in mature estates than in non-mature estates, with 5-room and 3Gen flats in mature estates seeing the highest demand.
HDB plans its BTO supply by considering economic, market, and demographic factors, and has increased the annual supply of 4-room and larger flats by 42% from 2019 to 2020 to meet demand.

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6 Oct 2020

Housing and Development Board (Amendment) Bill

The Bill allows approved financial institutions to use HDB flat loans as collateral to obtain liquidity from MAS, ensuring no impact on flat owners' rights or loan terms, while providing a fallback if banks default.
It empowers HDB to compulsorily acquire flats as a last resort if owners make misleading or false statements during transfers between related persons, aiming to deter misuse while safeguarding innocent co-owners.
Administrative changes streamline HDB's court procedures for depositing compensation and enhance Board management by increasing membership to 15 and clarifying appointment processes to bring in diverse expertise.

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6 Oct 2020

Complaints of Defects in New HDB BTO Flats

Vikram Nair raised concerns about defects in new HDB BTO flats, asking for annual complaint numbers, percentages, and whether the defects liability period should be extended to five years.
The Second Minister for National Development explained that 90% of defects are reported within the one-year defects liability period, with minor issues like scratches being common, and that longer warranties exist for seepage and spalling concrete.
MPs highlighted specific cases, such as over 200 defects in Woodlands Glen, questioned HDB's recourse against contractors, and raised issues with unresolved defects post-DLP and repetitive seepage problems.
HDB commits to investigating and rectifying defects even after the defects liability period, focusing on the cause, and considers specific cases like COVID-19 impacts when discussing possible extensions.
The Minister noted that contractor performance data might influence future contract awards but did not confirm current monitoring practices, indicating further clarification is needed.

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5 Oct 2020

Maximum and Median Number of Applications for Successful First-time HDB Flat Applicants

Ms Jessica Tan Soon Neo asked the Minister for National Development about the maximum and median number of application attempts for first-time HDB flat applicants before success in 2019 and 2020.
In 2019 and the first half of 2020, more than half of first-time families succeeded in their first attempt for Build-To-Order or Sale of Balance Flats.
The highest number of consecutive unsuccessful attempts before success was 14 in 2019 and 10 in the first half of 2020.
These cases typically involved applicants applying for new flats in mature estates.

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5 Oct 2020

Residential Addresses Falsely Declared as Housing Addresses for Foreign Workers in Past Five Years

Member of Parliament Leon Perera asked about the number of cases in the past five years where residential addresses were falsely declared as housing addresses for foreign workers and the measures to ensure accuracy.
The Ministry of Manpower holds employers responsible for reporting accurate addresses via an Online Foreign Worker Address Service, which checks occupancy limits and tenancy records to prevent misuse.
A Foreign Worker Tenant Enquiry System was introduced in 2018, allowing homeowners to verify and block registrations at their addresses, leading to a significant increase in detected false declarations in 2019.
Cases of false declaration result in investigations, with culpable employers barred from hiring foreign workers and workers facing work pass revocation if they knowingly provided false information.

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5 Oct 2020

Causes of Neighbourly Disputes in HDB Flats Lodged with Community Disputes Resolution Tribunal since 2015

Member Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim inquired about the annual number of CDRT cases since 2015 related to noise, smoking, and obstruction in HDB flats.
Minister K Shanmugam responded that the State Courts do not track data on the type of dwelling for each claim, making it impossible to provide specific figures for HDB neighbour disputes.

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