Chee Hong Tat
Singapore
“The National Parks Board (NParks) resumed crow shooting operations in March 2026 across nine districts, including Yishun. These sites were prioritised based on several factors, including the volume and severity of public feedback on crow-related issues, as well as the technical feasibility of conducting shooting operations safely at each…”
“To drive sustainable construction and reduce reliance on conventional diesel generators, the Housing and Development Board (HDB) has required the use of battery energy storage systems (BESS) or synchronised generator set systems at Build-to-Order construction worksites for all building tenders called since February 2025.”
“The Housing and Development Board (HDB) tracks resident feedback on maintenance-related issues, including spalling concrete and structural cracks within HDB flats. Such issues are much less common in younger flats, compared to older flats above 30 years old.”
“The Building and Construction Authority (BCA) provides resources on its website to guide building owners and Management Corporations Strata Title (MCSTs) on lift modernisation.”
“Private retail developments sold through the Government Land Sales Programme are intended to complement the commercial offerings in public developments undertaken by agencies, such as the Housing and Development Board.”
“The National Parks Board (NParks) is reviewing both the Animals and Birds Act and the Code of Animal Welfare (COAW). The former will include pet sector businesses and the latter will include and start with pet groomers.”
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“Thank you, Mr Speaker. Please allow me to clarify Ms Lim's point. It depends on how the fees are being classified. If they are classified as administrative fees, the fees can be collected by the agencies. In this case, they are considered regulatory, and therefore, the advice is that it is more appropriate, it is better if we put it into legislation going forward. So, that is what we have done. I think that is an important point that I need to clarify. It is not that for these administrative fees, we are unauthorised to collect. That was not the case.”
“Mr Speaker, I thank Mr Fadli for his clarification. I think we are talking about two separate things. Today, we are not here to present a case where there was human error, because the fees were wrongly computed or wrongly collected. Today, we are here because the nature in which these fees were prescribed, they were treated as administrative. But going forward, we will put them into legislation. And then there is this issue of what to do with the past collections, which we are proposing through this Bill, for Parliament's agreement, to validate. So, two separate issues. That is why I said I do not think this is an issue of administrative oversight, in a way which Mr Fadli had described. Thank you, Sir.”
“Thank you, Mr Speaker. I had explained to Mr Fadli and to other Members that the fees were not wrongly or inappropriately collected. On the issue of administrative oversight, I am not sure what he meant by that. If what he meant was that we wanted to make it clearer, yes, I agree. And that is why we are here. Because we want to make sure that going forward, the situation is clearer, there is less ambiguity. So, if that is what Mr Fadli meant, then, yes, we are on the same page. Because that is what we are trying to do with this Bill: make the situation clearer for the fees moving forward. But we still need to deal with the past collections. What we are proposing, coming to this House in an open manner, a transparent manner, to explain what the situation is, is that we want to validate those collections which were done in the past because they were treated as administrative fees. And that is what this Bill is about. I thought we had arrived at a position where there is some level of common understanding when I heard Mr Pritam Singh. So, I hope the Workers' Party Members could also agree with our explanation. Like what Mr Pritam Singh said, we understand where the Workers' Party is coming from as well. If we could seek your support for this Bill based on the explanations that we have given, and as I had said earlier, we will go back and see to what extent is possible for us to put together the data that you have requested, we will try our best. We will share this data with you, to the best of our ability, to put it together so that you have a sense of the quantum, you have a sense of the amount that we are talking about every year. That is something that we will attempt to do. But for now, I seek your support for this Bill. Thank you, Sir.”
“Mr Speaker, I am sorry, I cannot agree with the way Mr Giam has characterised the issue with his latest remarks. I have explained earlier that these fees were not illegally or wrongly collected, and they were not inappropriately collected. I have explained why: services were provided, costs were incurred. We were trying to recover the costs for providing these services. So, this is not a wrong collection that we are required to refund or we should refund. This is quite different from the previous case that Mr Andre Low cited about the GST, where indeed, some of the amounts were wrongly collected. And for that one, the Government provided the refund. And in cases where indeed that mistake was made and the wrong collection happened, I think that is the correct thing to do. We have done it and we will do it. But in this situation, I hope Mr Giam understands the explanation that I and my colleague Senior Parliamentary Secretary Syed Harun have been providing, which is that these were actual services that were provided, fees were collected based on cost recovery; and so, it was not a wrong collection.”
“Mr Speaker, I thank Mr Singh for his comments and his understanding of the difficulty that my colleagues in MND have in trying to put the data together. I also understand, certainly, where the Workers' Party is coming from. I think it is correct that we be clear what we are putting before the House. And that is why we took effort to explain what this issue is, what is the objective, what are the steps that we are taking, in an open and transparent way. That is something that will be helpful for people to understand. So, if we are able to come up with the information subsequently, to the best of our ability, I think we will certainly be happy to share this with Mr Singh and with the House. But for today, I do seek the support of Members from the Workers' Party that if they agree with the intent of what we are trying to do with this Bill, not just this provision, but the others as well, and the spirit of what we are trying to achieve and the explanations that we have given in terms of what happened, the nature of these fees, what steps we are taking going forward, I do hope to have their support too for this Bill.”
“Thank you, Mr Speaker. Mr Speaker, I would like to explain to Mr Singh and the hon Members of the Workers' Party that it is not that we do not want to give them a number. It is that I hope they understand, these fees were collected over a long period of time – if I am not wrong, I think, since Independence when we first started. So, we may not have the full accurate record of all the amounts collected that we are able to share with them precisely. And that is why my colleague Senior Parliamentary Secretary Syed Harun was struggling a little bit to look for the exact information. But let me put it this way. If we agree that that amount that was collected is not incorrect, inappropriate and wrongly collected, but it is because it was regarded as an administrative fee that was charged, then I think whatever that amount is – and we will certainly try our very best to see whether we can arrive at that number accurately – whatever the amount is, it is something which we are trying to do what is right going forward, validating the past collections and going forward, putting it into legislation. So, I do seek Mr Singh's understanding that we are dealing with a situation which goes back decades, and it is not the last three years or the last five years, that we are able to obtain the information easily and accurately.”
“Thank you, Mr Speaker. Mr Speaker, my colleague Senior Parliamentary Secretary Syed Harun has explained several times that the fees were previously considered as administrative fees. And he also explained why services were provided and these fees were collected on a cost recovery basis, which is the correct principle. So, if the Workers' Party agrees that that is the correct approach – where we provide service, we should recover the cost, which would otherwise have to be funded by taxpayers if we do not do that – then there is really no refund to talk about. Because this is not a wrong collection. So, I think that is the first point we go to be clear about. The second point is, we did this review ourselves together with the AGC. It was not due to a complaint or a question posed by a Member of Parliament. We initiated this review and we decided that, to be upfront, to be open, to be transparent, we want to bring it to the House and do it properly. Going forward, we want to make sure that we put it into legislation so that there is clarity. And for those fees that were collected in the past, and as I have explained, not wrongly collected – they were appropriate and they were correctly collected. We want to make sure that we validate and we do this through this Bill. So, I hope we understand what this debate is about and what it is not about.”
“Mr Speaker, for data, this is something which HDB publishes. For a buyer, you can go in and take a look at the application rates for the different projects in different parts of Singapore. And of course, some projects will have higher application rates than others because they are more popular. Or for example, in certain areas where we have not been building BTO flats for a while and when there is a BTO project being launched, it is popular and therefore, the application rate will be higher. But if you look at the latest BTO application in February this year, we saw an improvement in the application rates for first-time families for 3-room and larger flats. In some projects, the application rate for first-time families was actually below one, which means, subject to the Ethnic Integration Policy constraints, virtually everybody will be able to get a BTO flat if you are a first-timer family. We will continue to build HDB BTO flats to ensure a robust supply because we understand the demand is strong and we want to be able to meet the housing aspirations of Singaporeans. The same applies to the seniors who want to right-size. Many of them would be looking, for example, at buying a 2-room Flexi flat. And for this category, the people who are singles are also applying for 2-room Flexi flats. That is why I shared at the Committee of Supply earlier this year that we will increase the supply of 2-room Flexi flats by about 50% from 2026 to 2028.”
“Mr Speaker, in the first quarter of 2026, Housing and Development Board (HDB) resale prices declined by 0.1%, following five consecutive quarters of price growth moderation. The moderation is broad-based across flat types and towns. HDB has implemented several key measures in recent years to support first-time buyers to stay near their parents for mutual care and support. First, we have increased the supply of Plus and Prime flats, which come with additional subsidies. Second, we introduced the Family Care Scheme in 2025 to strengthen inter-generational family support. Third, we have significantly enhanced housing grants for both new and resale flats. Eligible first-timer families can benefit from grants of up to $120,000 to buy new flats, and $230,000 to buy resale flats. Those purchasing a resale flat can tap on the Proximity Housing Grant of up to $30,000.”
“The National Parks Board tracks the population of pest birds, such as pigeons, mynas and crows, in Singapore. Their annualised population growth rates of these bird species from 2000 to 2024 are shown in Table 1 below. Population studies prior to 2000 were conducted using fewer samples and different methodologies, limiting comparability with more recent studies.”
“The maintenance of community libraries located in the common areas of the Housing and Development Board (HDB) estates comes under the Town Councils. Like other common facilities, Town Councils may take action under their by-laws against individuals who cause damage to community libraries. Town Councils may install surveillance cameras after obtaining HDB's consent.”
“The National Parks Board (NParks) manages trees in Singapore's parks, park connectors and streetscapes along roads. To safeguard public safety, NParks had removed about 51,000 trees between 2020 to 2025 in NParks-managed urban greenery areas that were at risk of failure due to interrelated reasons, such as poor health, structural issues and susceptibility to diseases. Where feasible, NParks will carry out replacement planting to mitigate the loss of greenery. There are also greenery provision measures to mitigate the loss of greenery due to development projects. This includes the Landscaping for Urban Spaces and High-Rises programme that requires developers to provide replacement greenery within new developments, which can include tree planting. The trees planted as part of the aforementioned greenery provision measures are separate from those planted under the OneMillionTrees movement. From 2020 to 2025, there were 830,000 trees planted under the OneMillionTrees movement. We will continue to partner the community in our tree planting efforts.”
“The Housing and Development Board (HDB) has not acquired or identified any privately-owned HDB shops for acquisition since September 2025. As we explained previously, such acquisitions will be done selectively and only when it is necessary to do so. The assessment will be made on a case-by-case basis, taking into account factors, such as the overall supply of shops in the area and whether there are sufficient essential services meeting residents' needs.”
“Amongst the 8,500 privately-owned Housing and Development Board (HDB) shops, about 70% are owned by individual Singapore Citizens or Singapore Permanent Residents and about 30% are owned by Singapore-registered companies, both private and public. HDB does not have data on the beneficial ownership of these companies.”
“Pricing of pet insurance products is determined by insurers' actuarial and commercial considerations. There are no plans to regulate the cost of pet insurance nor allow the use of MediSave to pay veterinary fees or premiums.”
“The 25th percentile, median, average and 75th percentile of the number of months between the closing of a Build-To-Order (BTO) exercise and the booking of a flat for 2021 to 20251 are set out in Table 1 below2. Successful applicants are typically notified to book a flat about two weeks before their scheduled flat booking appointment.”
“The Housing and Development Board prefers not to convert car park spaces to other uses during the initial years after the Minimum Occupation Period (MOP) is over, as parking demand would take several years to stabilise after the MOP with new residents moving into the estate. Converting parking spaces prematurely could result in parking shortages for residents. It is also not a good use of public funds to convert from car park to alternative use and then converting back to car park use if parking demand subsequently rises. As car parks are built for vehicle parking, any change of use is subject to technical considerations including fire safety requirements, exit capacity and structural loading and would need to be carefully assessed to ensure that the intended activities can be carried out safely.”
“In partnership with participating animal groups, more than 3,000 cats have been sterilised and microchipped under the Trap-Neuter-Rehome/Release-Manage programme as of March 2026. The Animal and Veterinary Service (AVS) has worked with stakeholders including animal groups, veterinarians, community cat caregivers, agencies and Town Councils to develop guidelines for responsible community cat caregiving and to carry out sterilisation and microchipping drives. These draft guidelines are available on AVS' website.”
“The Housing and Development Board (HDB) generally adopts a seven-year cycle for repair and redecoration (R&R) works for HDB multi-storey car parks (MSCPs). Over the past five years, R&R works for each MSCP took about one year to complete. Those with more complex works beyond repainting and repairs, such as widening vehicular turning access and improving barrier-free access within the MSCP take longer. R&R works are carried out in phases as the MSCP remains in operation throughout the works. This requires sections of the car park to be cordoned off progressively, which extends the overall duration of the works. HDB works with its contractors to improve productivity and shorten project timelines where possible, including the use of fast-set materials and materials prefabricated off-site to speed up R&R works on-site.”
“Public rental flats are prioritised for Singapore Citizen (SC) applicants with at least one other SC or Singapore Permanent Resident's family member. This could be the spouse, parent or child. The Housing and Development Board (HDB) assesses each public rental flat application holistically, taking into account the applicant's housing options, level of family support and input from social workers. In the last three years, HDB has approved a small number of applications from SCs with non-resident spouses and children.”
“In each year from 2023 to 2025, the Housing and Development Board approved about 15 appeals received from flat owners who require a bigger flat due to growing family size and wish to sell their flat before fulfilling the Minimum Occupation Period.”
“This question was addressed in the Ministry of National Development's reply to the question asked by Mr Saktiandi Supaat on 24 September 2025. [Please refer to "Review of HDB's Current Homeowner Insurance Coverage", Official Report, 24 September 2025, Vol 96, Issue 4, Written Answers to Questions section.]”
“The Housing and Development Board (HDB) receives an average of about 17,000 pieces of feedback on inter-floor leak each year. The vast majority of cases are resolved smoothly and amicably between flat owners, typically within two to four months. Resolving such cases requires multiple visits to diagnose the source of the leak and carry out repairs, which involves coordinating access between both parties. HDB works with flat owners to resolve cases as quickly as possible. There are no fixed timelines as the time taken varies with the complexity of each case and the level of cooperation from the parties involved. As at end-March 2026, 10 cases have taken longer than four months to resolve as the upper-floor flat owners were not cooperative. HDB has already taken or plans to take legal action against these flat owners. As a last resort, HDB may initiate civil proceedings against uncooperative upper-floor flat owners or conduct forced entry under section 28 of the Housing and Development Act, depending on the severity of the case. This approach seeks to strike a balance between encouraging cooperative resolution between neighbours and ensuring timely repairs.”
“The Urban Redevelopment Authority's (URA's) assessment of proposed uses in residential estates takes into consideration various factors, such as the Master Plan zoning, prevailing planning policies and guidelines, compatibility with existing and surrounding uses, preservation of the residential character and living environment of the estate, potential impact on neighbouring residents, as well as residents' feedback and concerns. Residential properties are intended for long-term residential dwelling purposes. Residents can rent out the property to residential tenants, set up home offices or carry out small scale businesses. These uses are still residential in nature and must comply with prevailing guidelines, such as the relevant occupancy cap. URA may allow change of use from residential to childcare centre in landed housing estates, subject to locational criteria, to serve the needs of working parents who require such facilities near their homes. There are currently no specified limits for the number of premises that are rented out for residential use or for small scale home-based activities, as these uses should be compatible with the surrounding residential use. Nonetheless, URA monitors the ground situation and works with relevant agencies, such as the Early Childhood Development Agency, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Manpower, to ensure that the residential character and living environment of private housing estates are preserved. URA takes residents' concerns and feedback seriously. When URA receives feedback on adverse impact posed by certain uses, URA will carry out the necessary investigations and engage the owners or operators to put in place measures to mitigate the impact on neighbouring residents.”
“The Housing and Development Board (HDB) regularly conducts surveys to understand the needs of different buyer groups. For example, the Sample Household Survey surveys households and single occupiers living in HDB flats every five years, and its findings are published on the HDB website. As mentioned on previous occasions, including the 2026 Committee of Supply debate, the Ministry of National Development is reviewing the minimum eligibility age for singles to buy HDB flats.”
“Maintenance and life-cycle considerations are taken into account upfront in the design of the Housing and Development Board (HDB) developments, including lift provisions, facade design and choice of materials, to ensure long-term maintainability of the blocks. While taller blocks may incur higher maintenance and inspection costs due to their scale and systems, these developments also house more units. The larger number of households contributing Service and Conservancy Charges (S&CC) helps to support the maintenance needs of such developments. Town Councils fund their operations, including maintenance works, primarily through S&CC collections, and are supported by over $280 million a year in Government grants. In addition, HDB co-shares 50% of the costs for facade repairs under the Facade Repairs Co-payment Scheme. The Government will continue to monitor the Town Councils' finances, including the maintenance demands of taller blocks, and assess whether further funding support is required.”
“From 2019 to 2025, more than 80% of new buildings that were completed and existing buildings undergoing addition and alteration works that require plan submission to the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) have fully complied with the prevailing Code on Accessibility in the Built Environment (Code). The remaining buildings were exempted from full compliance with the Code through waivers or modifications to the requirements, due to technical constraints that make complying with the full requirements impractical. Introduced in 2019, the requirement for accessible changing rooms applies to large public-facing building types, such as shopping complexes, sports facilities, community clubs, hospitals, polyclinics and major transport interchanges. While the provision of ostomy cleaning sinks is currently not mandatory, BCA introduced the Companion Guide to the Code earlier this year. The Guide provides design recommendations and encourages the installation of ostomy facilities in public-facing buildings. BCA will continue to review and update the Code.”
“The Housing and Development Board (HDB) and the National Parks Board (NParks) develop playgrounds based on the Play Values Framework and Design Guidelines for Nature Playgardens respectively to provide more engaging and diverse experiences at playgrounds within our housing estates and parks. Agencies also implement measures to enhance the thermal comfort of playground users, such as using materials suited for our tropical climate. Through these measures, HDB and NParks would like to encourage children to spend more time at playgrounds. HDB tracks data on the usage of estate facilities including playgrounds in the five-yearly Sample Household Survey (SHS). SHS findings in 2018 and 2023 to 2024 show that the satisfaction and overall usage levels of HDB playgrounds among households with young children (aged 12 and below) remain high.”
“The disqualification order regime under section 43B of the Animals and Birds Act (ABA) was introduced via the 2014 amendments to ABA, following the Animal Welfare Legislation Review Committee's recommendations to strengthen animal welfare enforcement in 2013. The National Parks Board (NParks) is undertaking a review of the ABA, including the disqualification order regime and penalties, to ensure that our regulatory framework remains effective in deterring animal cruelty. NParks has been engaging stakeholders as part of the review and details of the public consultation on the draft amendments will be shared later this year.”
“The National Parks Board (NParks) works closely with Singapore Customs and the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority to apply a risk assessment framework to screen and identify cargo for further inspection at our borders. Agencies regularly review risk profiles of entities, trade routes and shipment methods to ensure that the framework remains robust. Local freight forwarders and shipping carriers are required to exercise due diligence in their operations, and must comply with the Endangered Species (Import and Export) Act (ESA) whereby scheduled species transiting in Singapore require valid permits. NParks has taken action against parties who did not comply with the ESA.”
“In the three years since the Additional Buyer's Stamp Duty rates were increased in April 2023, an average of 86 private residential properties were purchased by foreigners per quarter. This is significantly lower than the average of 237 private residential properties purchased by foreigners per quarter in the preceding three-year period. We will continue to keep a close watch on the residential property market and adjust our measures as necessary, to maintain a stable and sustainable property market.”
“The Government provides over $280 million a year in grants to help Town Councils with some of their operating expenses and reduce the costs borne by residents. Beyond these grants, Town Councils are responsible for their financial sustainability, by managing their income and expenses prudently. To manage electricity costs, Town Councils can implement energy conservation measures, such as smart lighting systems and adjusting lighting hours and brightness. For example, the West Coast-Jurong West Town Council has piloted a smart lighting system that achieved energy savings of over 70%.”
“The Member may wish to refer to the written reply given by the Ministry of National Development to a related question posed by Ms Valerie Lee on 25 February 2026. [Please refer to "Assessment of Effectiveness and Extension of Courier Hub Scheme to More Estates", Official Report, 25 February 2026, Vol 96, Issue 19, Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer not Answered by End of Question Time section.] We will continue to monitor and review the Courier Hub Scheme, alongside other solutions for last-mile delivery and parcel sorting.”
“To guard against money laundering and counter terrorism financing, including in the area of real estate transactions, the Government has in place a legal and regulatory framework where gatekeepers, such as financial institutions, lawyers, accountants and real estate salespersons, have to comply with anti-money laundering requirements including the conduct of customer due diligence. Under the legal and regulatory framework, the financial institutions are under strict requirements to conduct rigorous Know Your Customer (KYC) processes when accounts are opened and Customer Due Diligence (CDD) on transactions. Lawyers will also be involved in real estate transactions. Some of these transactions also involve accountants. Lawyers and accountants also have strict KYC and anti-money laundering obligations and are required to perform CDD. Gatekeepers specific to the real estate sector, such as real estate salespersons, real estate agencies and developers also have the duty to perform CDD on their customers and are required to file a suspicious transaction report (STR) if they have reasonable grounds to suspect that any property may be connected to criminal conduct. Together, the obligations imposed on these gatekeepers, as well as the supervision of these gatekeepers by the sectoral regulators ensure that Singapore has a strong anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing regime. Buyers and sellers may also be obliged to file an STR if their knowledge or suspicion that a property or transaction is connected with criminal conduct had arisen in the course of their trade, profession, business or employment.”
“Building taller is one of our key strategies to intensify land use and keep up a robust supply of the Housing and Development Board (HDB) flats. While 60-storeys is a first for HDB, there are taller residential buildings in Singapore and overseas. Lift service standards will be maintained at a high level for our 60-storey HDB blocks. This is through the provision of more lifts to ensure reasonable waiting times and availability of alternative lifts in case of maintenance or service disruptions. There will also be lift zoning, with multiple lifts serving different floor zones. Backup generators will ensure continuous operations during power outages. The 60-storey HDB blocks will comply with prevailing fire safety requirements for high-rise residential buildings. For residential buildings exceeding 40 storeys, refuge floors are required at intervals not exceeding 20 storeys. Refuge floors serve as a safe temporary holding space during fire evacuation. In addition, such buildings shall include the installation of wet rising mains and having at least two fire lifts to support the Singapore Civil Defence Force's (SCDF's) operations. Elderly and mobility-impaired residents who need to evacuate in the event of a fire can do so with the help of community support. To this end, SCDF has been helping grassroots organisations, like the People Association's community emergency and engagement committees, to plan and conduct evacuation drills and exercises.”
“Build-To-Order (BTO) projects completed from 2021 to 2024 were delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Across these four years, median actual waiting times exceeded median projected waiting times by three to nine months. By January 2025, all projects affected by COVID-19 were completed. Since then, projects completed in 2025 were delivered on or ahead of schedule, with the median waiting time about one month less than projected at launch. For projects launched in 2025, the median projected waiting time was 47 months. We expect median waiting times to remain between three to four years for projects launched in 2026 and 2027.”
“Under the Public Rental Scheme and the Parenthood Provisional Housing Scheme, applicants may select a rental flat from available vacancies across Singapore. However, due to the tight supply, applicants may not always be able to secure a rental flat in their most preferred location. While we do not track the number of school transfers following rental relocation, the Housing and Development Board (HDB) and Ministry of Education (MOE) work together to assist families with school transfers. Where feasible, HDB will also align relocation flat selection exercises to MOE's school transfer cycles so that the child can start in the new school in the new school term. For public rental families who are enrolled in ComLink+, a dedicated family coach or case worker will walk alongside them through the transition, connecting their children with relevant children's development and education programmes in the community.”
“Through the Urban Redevelopment Authority's Community/Sports Facilities Scheme, private developers are incentivised to co-locate non-profit community and sports users with commercial developments.”
“The Housing and Development Board (HDB) plans its towns comprehensively to ensure that residents have convenient access to essential and affordable goods and services. Rather than relying on lease conditions, HDB takes a systematic approach though planning and allocation of space, in partnership with relevant agencies. For example, HDB works with the Ministry of Health to allocate rental shops for letting as clinics and has jointly piloted the price-quality method tenders for private general practitioner clinics to encourage affordable and quality healthcare services in heartland shops. In addition, HDB supports social enterprises and inclusive businesses by providing direct allocation and subsidised rental space under the social enterprise policy to foster community-focused services. Beyond commercial spaces, HDB plans for socio-communal facilities within estates to support a range of community needs. These include facilities, such as childcare centres, senior care centres and other community spaces that support social interaction, care services and active ageing. HDB also collaborates with non-profit social service agencies on ground-up initiatives, identifying vacant premises or void deck spaces for conversion based on local community needs. For businesses operating in privately-owned shops, the proposed usage and leasing conditions are determined through market-based negotiations between businesses and private premises owners. The Government does not intervene directly in these private commercial arrangements but plans for facilities that provide socio-communal services in partnership with social agencies.”
“The median application rates of first timer singles applying for 2-room Flexi flats in Build-To-Order (BTO) exercises conducted from 2020 to 2025 are indicated below.”
“From 2020 to 2025, the number of appeals to waive the income ceiling to buy flats from the Housing and Development Board (HDB) or Executive Condominium units from property developers were: As we mentioned during previous media interviews and the 2026 Committee of Supply debate, the Ministry of National Development and HDB are reviewing the income ceilings.”
“To help flat buyers with their planning and preparations, the Housing and Development Board (HDB) Flat Eligibility (HFE) letter was introduced in May 2023 to give buyers upfront clarity on their eligibility to buy a new or resale flat, as well as the housing grant and HDB housing loan amount they may qualify for. Buyers must have a valid HFE letter when they apply for an HDB flat. In November 2023, HDB extended the validity period of the HFE letter from six to nine months. This strikes a balance between providing flat buyers with greater convenience and ensuring currency of eligibility assessments. For buyers whose HFE letter is expiring within 30 days, they may apply for a fresh HFE letter. Applications with a complete set of documents are mostly processed within seven working days. Until a fresh HFE letter is issued, buyers can still use their existing HFE letter to apply for a flat. We have no plans to extend the validity period further, as a longer validity period comes with a trade-off that the information submitted could become less current. Buyers who are successful in their new flat application will be invited to book a flat according to their balloted queue number. Even if their HFE letter has expired by then, the HDB housing loan amount they are eligible for remains unchanged. This helps buyers to make informed choices when they apply for their flats. Buyers will then be invited to sign the Agreement for Lease, typically within nine months after flat booking. Buyers with genuine need to review the HDB housing loan amount they are eligible for can seek HDB's assistance on a case-by-case basis.”
“To help flat buyers with their planning and preparations, the HDB Flat Eligibility (HFE) letter was introduced in May 2023 to give buyers upfront clarity on their eligibility to buy a new or resale flat, as well as the housing grant and the Housing and Development Board (HDB) housing loan amount they may qualify for. Buyers must have a valid HFE letter when they apply for an HDB flat. In November 2023, HDB extended the validity period of the HFE letter from six to nine months. This strikes a balance between providing flat buyers with greater convenience and ensuring currency of eligibility assessments. For buyers whose HFE letter is expiring within 30 days, they may apply for a fresh HFE letter. Applications with a complete set of documents are mostly processed within seven working days. Until a fresh HFE letter is issued, buyers can still use their existing HFE letter to apply for a flat. We have no plans to extend the validity period further, as a longer validity period comes with a trade-off that the information submitted could become less current. Buyers who are successful in their new flat application will be invited to book a flat according to their balloted queue number. Even if their HFE letter has expired by then, the HDB housing loan amount they are eligible for remains unchanged. This helps buyers to make informed choices when they apply for their flats. Buyers will then be invited to sign the Agreement for Lease, typically within nine months after flat booking. Buyers with genuine need to review the HDB housing loan amount they are eligible for can seek HDB's assistance on a case-by-case basis.”
“As of June 2025, the Hoarding Management Core Group and New Environment Action Team (NEAT) have decluttered 308 severe hoarding cases. We are also working on another 450 active hoarding cases, up from 253 in December 2021. This increase could be due to greater public awareness of hoarding in the community after NEAT was launched in January 2025, as well as efforts by the network coming together to identify cases early for intervention. With an ageing population, we may see an increase in the number of hoarding cases. NEAT's approach helps us pool, coordinate and optimise available resources as a whole of society, involving volunteers and experts across the public, private and people sectors. This is a more effective and sustainable way of managing the hoarding cases.”
“Town Councils are empowered under the Town Councils Act to enact and enforce by-laws to regulate the use of common property, including enforcement against the non-permitted use of Outdoor Display Areas (ODAs). Town Councils can exercise discretion to revoke or withhold permits for use of ODAs should they suspect any illegal subletting. For online advertisements on platforms, such as Carousell and Facebook, Town Councils may report such listings to the respective platform operators for review and removal, where they contravene the platforms' terms of service or facilitate activities that are not permitted.”
“The Community Improvement Projects Committee (CIPC) is a funding scheme to provide funding support to Town Councils and Citizens' Consultative Committees for small-scale improvement works in the Housing and Development Board estates. Following requests from several Town Councils to extend the deadline for FY2024 CIPC nominations due to the handing and taking over processes after General Election 2025, the Ministry of National Development (MND) extended the timeline for submission. The FY2024 projects were awarded three months ago, in January 2026. To allow all Town Councils sufficient time to work on their FY2024 projects, MND has not started the exercise for Town Councils to submit CIPC nominations for the FY2025 and FY2026 cycles. When the nomination process is ready to commence, we will inform the Town Councils and Citizens' Consultative Committees on the details.”
“The Voluntary Early Redevelopment Scheme is a long-term and complex undertaking. We aim to flesh out as much of the policy framework as possible during this term of Government. For now, it is too early to discuss the funding source and other details, which are part of the policy design.”
“As the Goodwill Repair Assistance scheme is intended for flats developed by the Housing and Development Board (HDB), it is not extended to flats under the Design, Build and Sell Scheme (DBSS), which were designed, built and sold by private developers. For DBSS flats, the private developers provided a one-year Defects Liability Period and an extended warranty of five years for ceiling leaks and water seepage, and 10 years for spalling concrete. After these have expired, owners of the affected upper and lower floor units are jointly responsible for repairing any ceiling leaks due to wear and tear, in line with flat owners' responsibility for the upkeep of their flats. Where assistance is needed by flat owners, HDB would provide technical guidance, including goodwill investigative services where feasible and share a list of contractors whom flat owners may engage to carry out the repairs.”
“The Lift Upgrading Programme (LUP) was launched in 2001 to provide direct lift access to flats and enhance convenience for residents. At that time, more than 1,000 out of 5,300 Housing and Development Board (HDB) blocks without lift access were initially assessed to be unfeasible for LUP due to cost or site constraints. HDB continually monitors new technical and engineering solutions that reduce cost of LUP or overcome site constraints. Where new technologies are found viable, HDB studies each location and implements them at suitable sites. Through such efforts, the vast majority of the 5,300 blocks have benefited from LUP, with about 100 blocks remaining due to high costs or site constraints. These include the four blocks at Hougang Central. HDB will continue to monitor new technological advancements that could help the remaining blocks without direct lift access. Residents who are in urgent need of direct lift access due to medical conditions or mobility reasons can apply for the Lift Access Housing Grant (LHG) of up to $80,000 to help them buy another flat with direct lift access. These residents can approach HDB for assistance on their LHG application.”
“The Family Care Scheme (FCS) and Proximity Housing Grant (PHG) help parents and their children live with or near each other for mutual care and support. FCS (Proximity) provides priority access to new flats, while PHG is a housing grant for resale flat buyers. In 2018, the Housing and Development Board (HDB) relaxed the proximity condition from “within two kilometres or the same town” to “within four kilometres”. We assess that the four kilometres-radius is adequate to meet the needs of buyers, as they can choose from a wide range of housing options.”