Desmond Lee
Singapore
“The Leadership, Enrichment, Achievement, Participation and Service (LEAPS) 2.0 is a framework for recognising student participation and achievement in secondary school co-curricular programmes.”
“The Ministry of Education (MOE) is mindful of the impact that rising temperatures may have on our students, teachers and officials taking part in the National School Games. Matches are scheduled only after students have had the time to train and become progressively more heat acclimatised.”
“As shared in Parliament in March 2026, the proportion of students with special educational needs (SEN) in mainstream schools has remained stable, at around 7% of the overall student population. This stability is observed across both primary and secondary schools.”
“The Ministry recruits and assesses applicants based on merit and suitability for the teaching profession, regardless of gender. We look for individuals with a passion for teaching, a belief in the potential of every child, and who possess the values and character to make a positive difference in students' lives.”
“Over the past five years, an average of 750 teachers resigned from the Education Service annually, representing a resignation rate of around 2%.”
“MOE has also progressively strengthened open access within the Primary 1 Registration Framework through Phase 2C, which is open to students regardless of whether they have prior connections to the school. MOE had increased the number of reserved Phase 2C places from zero to 20 in 2014; and from 20 to 40 in 2022.”
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“I thank the Leader of the Opposition. As part of Forward Singapore Housing Conversations, we have gotten views from Singaporeans as well as from experts about a range of issues pertaining to our public housing system. Some are of immediate concern, like the current situation; some are longer term considerations such as whether the mature, non-mature estate classification remains relevant. And so, certainly through the Forward Singapore exercise, we gathered views and are studying the issue. But all in, MND continues to study how to enhance our public housing system.”
“Thank you. I will try my best, Madam. Yes, MND's expenditures have gone up. So have many Ministries. A large part of it has got to do with our building ramp-up. We are building a lot more. We are building a lot more in areas where building is more complicated – for example, soil conditions, slopes. We are building taller buildings and more comprehensive estates Construction costs have gone up by 30%. The land costs, of course, have gone up in this current environment. As Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong had said in the Budget debate, we are in that part of the property cycle where we are dealing with imbalance in supply and demand, resulting in greater demand as well as higher resale prices. We are committed to manage this supply-demand distortion in order to bring the property market to a more stable ground. We will make sure that we spend the resources in order to tackle this issue, in order to provide affordable, accessible housing for Singaporeans. And I think Singaporeans do certainly expect that and that is the response to the second question.”
“But, already, as the Member may have noticed in the media, we are experimenting with different things, even putting work modules that some companies are piloting at the bottom of the flats in the void decks, with WiFi and other facilities to see whether that is something that Singaporeans take to. Libraries as well as CCs have during COVID-19 and some continued well after the COVID-19 pandemic to offer such spaces for Singaporeans to work away from office. And, of course, there are the private sector co-working spaces that are found in different parts of Singapore. And we are studying with them the kinds of subscription to these kinds of models. So, all in, a continued work-in-progress.”
“Madam, maybe I will deal with the Member's first question on what HDB is doing, post-COVID-19, to learn from the experience of work-from-home in order to help Singaporeans, help businesses adopt flexible work arrangements. As I have shared previously, we are looking at the possibility of HDB housing design where we have more open plan flexibilities for the owner. Already, we have pushed the structural elements of each flat as far as possible to the outer perimeter of the flat. So, you try to avoid having structural beams and columns within the flat, which make it difficult for the homeowner to adjust the interior of the flat. So, more dry walls. But, all in, push the structural elements to the outer perimeters of the flat. But going further, HDB is studying whether it would be useful to give different configurations for the same flat typologies: 5-room, 4-room, 3-room. But instead of having the typical standard kind of room configurations, to allow some options, including providing options for people to configure a small workspace if necessary. But beyond that, as part of the Long-Term Plan Review, we are studying the lasting legacy of our COVID-19 experience in terms of how Singaporeans and how our enterprises are adjusting and providing for hybrid work. And this will not just impact our design of the interior of the flat but also causing us to think about the design of future housing estates, that is, not just the flat but the neighbourhood as well as future town centres and neighbourhood centres.”
“Mdm Chairman, I think both Ms Mariam Jaafar and Mr Gerald Giam had asked similar questions whether the Government can prevent private property owners from holding on to their HDB flats, that means, they bought HDB and they now bought private, or we stop them from renting out their flats. As I have said previously in response to some Parliamentary Questions, we are studying this issue. Of the home owners who own private properties while being HDB flat owners, half of this group rent out their HDB flat. So, it is about 1.3% of homeowners. It is a small group, but we will continue to study whether it is necessary and appropriate to prevent HDB home owners who have bought private property from renting out their HDB flats.”
“Mdm Chairman, we study all suggestions and we keep all these ideas in mind. We keep an open mind. At this point in time, we are focused on ramping up the PPHS flats, helping those from lower-income households, the $7,000 and below, with subsidised PPHS flats. And for those who have urgent housing needs, with Interim Rental Housing (IRH) flats as well. As I said earlier, with the large number of flats as well as private properties completing this year and over the next two years, we think that that may have some impact on the overall rental market. But we, certainly keep an open mind and keep a close eye on the rental situation and will be prepared to take necessary measures in order to support Singaporeans.”
“May I just clarify that the Member is asking about his proposal to have a voucher to help Singaporeans needing to rent in the open market while waiting for flats?”
“I thank the Member for his clarification. As I have said, between 2021 and 2025, we plan to launch up to 100,000 BTO flats. That is a pipeline that requires a number of years of work beforehand in order to identify the land, in order to identify the things that need to be done, in order to make the land ready for that. We will continue with those efforts. It is a major endeavour. We have over 100 projects ongoing as we speak, 80,000 flats being built at this very moment. The ramp-up will continue. It will require resources. It will require the building capacity of our built environment sector. My colleague Senior Minister of State Tan Kiat How has spoken earlier about the productivity and innovation journey that HDB had brought onboard in order for us to undertake a building of this scale. Members would also recognise that the flats that we are building today are much taller, more comprehensive, have more amenities and facilities than the flats of yesteryear. At the scale that we are undertaking, it requires resources, it requires manpower, it requires land. But we are committed to persisting with this ramp-up in order to meet the demand for housing by Singaporeans.”
“This would tend to be younger people who are just starting out, they may not have worked long enough to accumulate the resources or gain the incomes that older, more experienced Singaporeans have in getting more housing options. And so, helping them in this way allows them to get their very first home. So, those who had previously bought and sold properties would probably have more means. That is a broad proxy. But I hear the Member that they may be extenuating circumstances and I did say that HDB will look at families in extenuating circumstances. Be that as it may, they would still be considered first-timers, like everyone else in that category.”
“I thank the Government Parliamentary Committee (GPC) Chair for the two questions. We are in a situation where demand is high for the various reasons that we have articulated during the Housing Motion. We have ramped up supply but we hear from the various Housing Conversations under Forward Singapore that there is a group of Singaporeans who are undertaking their very first home ownership journey: younger people who have just graduated who just started work looking for their very first home. While they are first-timers, people think that they should get extra help to get their very first home. Hence, we have scoped the group that will get this extra support and they will be a sub-category within the first-timer group. Of the three measures that we are undertaking – the Member asked about the Parenthood Priority Scheme, which is now renamed as the Family and Parenthood Priority Scheme (FPTS) – because in addition to couples with children or expecting children, we are also putting in married couples who would be part of the First-Timer Parents and Married Couples group. And in view of this, we are expanding the proportion of flat supply that we set aside for this group which would include the group formally benefiting under the Parenthood Priority Scheme, from 30% to 40% and through that, we seek to strike a balance ensuring that this group, the young married couples and parents, get extra support while also ensuring that first-timers under the PPS continue also to benefit as first-timers. On the second question, why did we scope the First-Timer Parent and Married Couple subcategory to exclude those who had formerly owned or sold property. This is to enable us to achieve our aim of giving additional support to those who are buying their very first home.”
“And further down the road in the 2030s and 2040s, we will open up the Greater Southern Waterfront for urban living and redevelop the Paya Lebar Airbase area to offer some 150,000 public and private homes. These plans were set in motion over a decade ago, when we started planning for the relocation of the Paya Lebar Airbase, Tanjong Pagar and Pasir Panjang ports. We are also working on our plans for the Voluntary Early Redevelopment Scheme, or VERS, so that we can redevelop our towns in a sustainable manner and ensure equitable housing across generations. We will share more when ready. As has been the hallmark of this Government, we will always look ahead to plan sustainably. We will continue to provide good homes for our people; and we will work closely with Singaporeans to ensure that the future of Singapore remains bright, inclusive and liveable. [Applause.]”
“We will now expand this programme and rename it to the Family and Parenthood Priority Scheme. Apart from first-timer families with children, first-timer married couples will also qualify for the Family and Parenthood Priority Scheme. And we will increase the proportion of the 3-room or larger BTO flat supply set aside for eligible applicants to 40%. Third, under the Family and Parenthood Priority Scheme, First-Timer Parents and Married Couples will enjoy first priority, so they will stand a higher chance of being invited to select a flat. We also recently enhanced the CPF Housing Grant to a maximum amount of $80,000, to support first-timers who want to buy a resale flat instead. As with earlier generations of Singaporeans, the Government will help your children to buy their first homes, and support them as they set up and raise their families. We will take care of our seniors' housing needs too. We are launching a third Community Care Apartment at Bedok later this year. This is an assisted living option designed for seniors. This programme offers senior-friendly flat features, care services and social activities, so that seniors can enjoy their silver years with peace of mind. (In English): Looking ahead, we are making ambitious, exciting moves to create space for our future needs, for our future generations, including in housing. We have already opened up new towns and housing areas in Tengah, in Miltonia and Ulu Pandan East, to offer some 36,000 HDB flats. Singaporeans can look forward to upcoming projects at Mount Pleasant, Keppel Club and Bayshore, which will yield about 17,000 HDB flats.”
“We recently lowered the limit for HDB housing loans in September last year to encourage flat buyers, including first-timers, to exercise more financial prudence, especially in a rising interest rate environment and an environment of greater economic uncertainty. We do not expect this to adversely affect a significant proportion of first-time homebuyers. The significant grants we provide, especially for lower-income first-timers, allows them to offset the cash component of their flats. Nevertheless, I assure Ms Foo that we will keep watch and take this into consideration as we review our policies. Mr Chairman, allow me to speak in Mandarin, please. (In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] The Government is committed to providing good homes for Singaporeans through various stages of life from your first home into your silver years. We understand that many are anxious about the current housing situation. You might wonder, will your children be able to afford a home? COVID-19 has significantly derailed our building plans, but we are getting back on track. Apart from ramping up the BTO supply, we will do even more to help first-timers to secure a flat. If your children are first-timers, have children or are a young married couple aged 40 and below, and have never owned any residential property or had the chance to book a flat in the past five years, we will help them to secure a flat more quickly. First, First-Timer Parents and Married Couples will get an additional ballot when they apply for a BTO flat in any estate. Second, we previously had the Parenthood Priority Scheme, where we set aside up to 30% of the 3-room or larger BTO flat supply for married couples with children.”
“And we are open to new approaches, like the Prime Location Public Housing Model, which we put in place after lots of engagement, which prevents flat buyers from benefiting from higher market discounts which later translate into excessive windfall gains. The Progress Singapore Party (PSP) and the Workers' Party (WP) have offered suggestions on how flats can be made even cheaper than today. We thank them for their ideas. We have debated them extensively in the very recent Housing Motion, and we have carefully explained the difficulties that we see with these ideas, so I will not delve into them today. Mr Henry Kwek, Mr Louis Chua, Ms Hazel Poa and Ms Foo Mee Har also raised some suggestions about housing loans. We use the CPF Ordinary Account (OA) interest rate as a peg, to give borrowers greater stability and certainty, since most service their mortgage repayments using their CPF OA savings. Overall, in 2022, more than eight in 10 BTO and resale flat buyers could service their HDB loans using their CPF contributions, with little to no cash outlay. Nonetheless, for homeowners who face difficulties keeping up with their mortgage instalments, HDB has various financial assistance measures in place to help them. HDB also provides one-to-one financial counselling to homeowners who are in arrears and will offer appropriate measures, depending on their situation, to help them. The proportion of households in arrears amongst those servicing HDB loans has also remained fairly stable over the past decade. On raising the loan-to-value limit for first-timers, as Ms Foo Mee Har had suggested, we appreciate her intent to make flats more affordable for them.”
“If demand surges, including suddenly like now during a crisis, we ramp up our main BTO pipeline and tap on our Shorter Waiting Time flat pipeline to meet immediate needs. And with a greater number of Shorter Waiting Time flats in future, this will be a more effective buffer. If demand falls, we can scale back the BTO pipeline responsively and allow homebuyers to book unselected flats from earlier launches through SBF or through open booking exercises, to minimise the potential for oversupply. We have also fine-tuned our current system with priority schemes and ballot chances, so that we can provide additional support to specific groups of buyers, like the First-Timer Parents and Married Couples we talked about earlier. In comparison, the allocation of flats under RFS was much more basic. The current system may not always work perfectly, and we will continue to adjust and calibrate along the way. But it does seek to strike a reasonable balance across multiple objectives – fairness and efficiency in allocating flats, fiscal prudence and responsiveness to demand. Compared to its predecessors, the pure BTO model and the RFS model, I think it is a clear improvement. Now, on the affordability of flats and fiscal sustainability. Let me assure Members once again that we aim to strike a good balance between the two. We set prices for BTO flats with affordability in mind. When incomes and prices go up together, flats will remain affordable and we may not need to increase market discounts or subsidies so much. We also keep our market discounts and subsidies targeted for first-timers as well as households with lower incomes.”
“So, we pair rental housing with social support, to make sure that tenants receive the support that they need to achieve stability, self-reliance and social mobility. Many Members have asked about our efforts to support and uplift our rental tenants, and Minister of State Faishal will share more later. 3.45 pm As I have said before, our public housing system is not perfect. We must learn from our experiences, continually improve and enhance our system for Singaporeans, and I thank Members for their thoughtful suggestions. For example, we used to have the Registration for Flats System, or RFS. This was basically a queue system – HDB built flats based on the number of applicants in the queue and flats were allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. At the height of the property boom in the mid-1990s, there were as many as 150,000 flat buyers in the queue, and the wait for a flat could be as long as seven years. But when the Asian Financial Crisis hit in 1997, housing demand plummeted. The queue disappeared, leaving HDB with 31,000 unsold flats which took many years to sell. It had a very serious impact on the value of existing homes in the resale market, affecting existing home owners. So, the challenges with the RFS were plain to see then. We acknowledge then that it could not cope with sharp and sudden shifts in demand. So, in 2002, we decided to replace it with the Build-To-Order (BTO) model, but we did not stop there. Over the years, we continued to refine our system. Today, we have a more comprehensive model, which is still developing, comprising of BTO flats, Shorter Waiting Time flats, Sale of Balance flats (SBF) and flats that are offered under open booking. This combination allows us to more dynamically adjust our building plans in response to demand.”
“We also received valuable feedback from seniors, who were keen to apply and who wanted us to build more. So, I am happy to announce that we will launch a third Community Care Apartment project in Bedok later this year, for our seniors. Given the positive response so far, we are developing a pipeline of Community Care Apartments in different locations across Singapore. We are working out the details and will share more later this year. We will also continue to refine the Community Care Apartment model as we gain experience, especially after our first residents move in next year. My colleague, Minister of State Faishal Ibrahim will elaborate more on our efforts to help seniors age-in-place later. Finally, let me touch on how we will better assist lower-income families with housing options. About 85% of our low-income households in Singapore own their homes. We achieve this high rate of ownership by pricing our flats so that lower-income households can afford them too. We also adopt a progressive approach, with more housing grants to support those with lower incomes. For example, in the ongoing BTO exercise, the typical selling price for a 3-room flat in Jurong West Crystal is $220,000. A household with a monthly income of $2,500 can receive $70,000 in housing grants, which will further reduce the price of the flat to $150,000. This household will need to use about 19% of their monthly income to pay for their mortgage instalments, which means that they can service their mortgage fully using their monthly CPF contributions, with zero cash outlay. For those who are not yet ready for home ownership, we provide highly subsidised rental flats as a social safety net. We recognise that some of these households may face other complex, interlocking challenges.”
“We also extended it to singles who wanted to buy a resale flat of their own, but remain near their parents, instead of living with their parents, often for caregiving reasons. In August last year, we increased the allocation quota for singles buying 2-room Flexi flats from 50% to 65%, to improve their chances of securing a home. Eligible first-timer singles can also enjoy the recently increased CPF Housing Grant announced during Budget. We have increased it from $25,000 to $40,000 for singles buying 2- to 4-room resale flats and from $20,000 to $25,000 for 5-room resale flats. We are glad to know that this provides more help to singles, like Ms Cheryll Yeo, to purchase flats of their own. Ms Yeo recently bought a 3-room resale flat in Serangoon and will receive the increased CPF Housing Grant of $40,000. Her new home is near her parents' place in Hougang, so she will receive the $10,000 Proximity Housing Grant too. During our Forward Singapore Housing Conversations, many singles, young and older, shared their challenges, perspectives and suggestions with us. We are closely studying what they have told us, to see how else we can support their housing aspirations, including through co-living models or other types of housing arrangements as Ms Carrie Tan and Mr Xie Yao Quan have suggested. Let me now speak about our housing support for seniors, whom several Members have touched on. Many of our seniors are homeowners. Over the years, we have introduced various upgrading programmes to help them age-in-place. To go a step further, MND, MOH and HDB have jointly developed a new housing type, the Community Care Apartment, or CCA. This is a fairly new housing-plus-care option for seniors. We have launched two pilots, at Bukit Batok and at Queenstown, which were well-subscribed.”
“With these in mind, we made a considered decision to increase the CPF Housing Grant and give targeted support to eligible first-timers, who made up about one-third of all resale flat buyers in the past two years. It does not apply universally to the entire resale market, but only a very specific group. In this economic climate, buyers are growing increasingly price sensitive, so sellers who raise their asking prices run the risk of pricing themselves out of the market. We hope these moves give first-timers greater assurance about buying their first homes and you can count on our support to set up and raise strong families. Next, let me share what we are doing to help singles. Many Members, both present and past spoke about this, like Miss Cheryl Chan, Ms Carrie Tan, Mr Louis Chua, Mr Xie Yao Quan, Ms Heng Ting Ru, Ms Joan Pereira, Miss Rachel Ong and many others. While we support families strongly, we recognise that society continues to change. More Singaporeans want to live apart from their parents before settling down. There are also singles who help to take care of their ageing parents but hope to have a place of their own. Others are caregivers of older parents and want to have their own space. Their housing aspirations and needs are important too. And we have been making changes to better support them over the years. We first introduced the Single Singapore Citizen Scheme in 1991, when singles could purchase HDB resale flats. From 2013, singles could also apply for a new 2-room Flexi flat. Then, in 2018, we increased the Proximity Housing Grant for singles who wanted to buy a resale flat to live with their parents.”
“To make it easier for buyers who had not completed their resale transaction before this announcement was made, we have extended the enhanced grants to them, so that they would not have to cancel their application and re-apply to qualify for the increased grants. This is unlike grants that are applicable to new BTO flats, which are tied to the prevailing policy at the point of BTO sales launch. This grant increase was helpful to Mr Zulkhairi, a warehouse logistics trainer and his family of three. They recently bought a 3-room resale flat and will receive a total of $130,000 in housing grants. Mr Zulkhairi shared with us that this will help to lower the monthly mortgage repayments for him and his family. Some Members, such as Mr Xie Yao Quan, Assoc Prof Jamus Lim, Ms Hazel Poa, Ms Mariam Jaafar and others, voiced concern that this grant may increase resale prices even further. As Deputy Prime Minister Wong had explained during Budget debate, this was a move that we considered very carefully. We are aware that whenever we increase grants, especially in a buoyant resale environment, there is always this risk. We decided to move on this, given the current context. First, as I mentioned earlier, we have significantly ramped up supply of new BTO flats to meet strong housing demand. Second, to manage demand and encourage financial prudence, we had introduced two rounds of property cooling measures, which are working their way through the market. Third, the outlook for the broader economic environment remains extremely uncertain. The global economy may experience a shallow downturn this year, some analysts say. Mortgage interest rates have increased and could rise further in the coming months from already elevated levels. Some households will be stretched.”
“We want to be fair to applicants who have very limited options, when they are invited to select their flat. Therefore, HDB will not issue a non-selection count if BTO flat applicants have 10 or fewer flats left to choose from. For Sale of Balanced Flat (SBF) exercises, where the flat supply is much smaller to begin with, we will use a lower threshold of five flats. Some applicants may also turn down the offer to select a flat because their circumstances have changed unexpectedly since they applied for the flat. Where there are extenuating circumstances, HDB may exercise flexibility to waive the non-selection count, not issue it in the first place. The moves that I have just announced will take effect from this year's August BTO exercise. We are announcing them early to give everyone some time to understand how these changes may affect them. And HDB will also need some time to stress-test and implement the system changes needed for all these moves. Let me now move on to our support for first-timers in the resale market. As Deputy Prime Minister Wong has announced recently during his Budget speech, we have increased the CPF Housing Grant for first-timer families, to enhance housing affordability in the resale market. Some first-timers prefer resale flats because they want to live near their parents or start raising families sooner. So, we have increased the CPF Housing Grant by $30,000 for those who purchase a 4-room or smaller resale flat, and by $10,000 for those who purchase a 5-room or larger resale flat. Altogether, eligible first-timer families can now receive up to $190,000 when they buy a resale flat.”
“This is why we encourage applicants to apply for flats only if they really intend to purchase one because there are other homebuyers who want to buy those flats. To reinforce this, our current practice is to issue what we term a "non-selection count", when applicants are invited to book a flat but do not take up the offer. After receiving two non-selection counts, first-timers will be considered second-timers for one year when they ballot for a flat. They can still apply for a new HDB flat, but the flat allocation quota for second-timers is lower. As for second-timers who chalk up two non-selection counts, they will not be allowed to participate in HDB sales exercises for a year. I have heard various suggestions during our Forward Singapore Housing Conversations to bring down the non-selection rate further. Some suggested removing privileges for two years. Some suggested raising the BTO application rate from $10 as it is today to $1,000 or more or imposing a financial penalty if applicants do not select a flat and do not have a good reason. After careful consideration, we have decided for now to tighten the rules for non-selection. We will consider first-timers as second-timers for a year when they ballot for a flat, after they receive one non-selection count, down from the two counts today. Similarly, second-timers will not be allowed to participate in HDB sales exercises for one year, after they receive one non-selection count. So, this is more stringent than what we have in place today. But, at the same time, we understand that some applicants may have genuine reasons for not selecting a home. So, we want to strike a right balance, because buying a home is a large financial decision.”
“We understand that they also hope to settle down quickly, similar to young married couples and families with young children. But with the tight supply now, even as we are ramping up new supply, let us first help those who are already married or have children, but have yet to secure their first home. As first-timers, fiancé-fiancée couples will still continue to receive two ballots when they apply for a new HDB flat. They will also continue to benefit from the large majority of flats that are set aside for first-timers. When they get married or ROM, they will similarly receive extra support to help them secure a flat more quickly. Sir, even as we give more help to first-timer parents and married couples, we also need to enhance the efficiency of our system, so that flats go to those who need them, as quickly as possible. Currently, 40% of BTO flat applicants who are invited to select a flat decide not to take up the offer. When I shared this during our Forward Singapore Housing Conversations, participants were surprised. It seemed at odds with what they had heard about strong housing demand. They thought that some applicants might be trying their luck, hoping for a good ballot number, for an attractive location. My HDB colleagues have also shared that some applicants may be rather selective, wanting only flats, say, on higher floors. There is probably a range of reasons. For some, the remaining flats may be out of budget. For others, they might be considering other housing options, or prefer flats with specific attributes for specific reasons. Understandably, some would rather give up the opportunity to select a flat now and wait longer for a better flat. But whatever the reason, such applicants do crowd out other home buyers who may have more pressing needs.”
“Third, for BTO launches in non-mature estates, we will give First-Timer Parents and Married Couples first priority under the Family and Parenthood Priority Scheme if they apply for a 4-room or smaller flat. This means that they will be shortlisted ahead of all other applicants who are eligible for the Family and Parenthood Priority Scheme, and stand a higher chance of being invited to select a flat. Take a young couple, say 26 or 27 years old, who have just ROM-ed (Registry of Marriages) recently. They will be considered a first-timer in this enhanced sub-category when they apply for a flat later this year. Let us say they are considering a 4-room BTO flat in Yishun or Tampines to live near either set of parents. Regardless which one they choose, they will get three ballot chances from the get-go. They will also qualify for the Family and Parenthood Priority Scheme and the Married Child Priority Scheme, which set aside flats for eligible applicants. And if they choose a 4-room flat in Yishun, which is a non-mature estate, they will be among the first to be shortlisted, across all eligible applicants for the Family and Parenthood Priority Scheme. So, their chances of being invited to select a flat will be substantially higher. So far, we have observed that virtually all first-timer families have been invited to select a flat within three tries, when they apply for a BTO flat in non-mature estates. With these new changes, first-timer parents and married couples should be able to select a flat within fewer attempts, especially if they apply for a 4-room or smaller BTO flat in non-mature estates where demand tends to be more moderate. 3.30 pm Some have asked if fiancé-fiancée couples can receive some extra help too.”
“When they apply for a new flat and set up their own families, HDB may consider allowing them to qualify for this priority category. In total, about 10% of all first-timer families will be considered first-timer parents and married couples for this sub-category. Some Members – Mr Zhulkarnain, Mr Seah Kian Peng, Ms Foo Mee Har and others – have asked us how we will improve their chances of securing a flat. We will do so in three ways. First, as Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong had announced during his Budget speech, first-timer parents and married couples will get one additional ballot when they apply for a new HDB flat. So, three ballots in total, up from the two that first-timers currently get, when they apply for any flat type in any estate – mature estates, non-mature estates or prime location housing. Second, we will adjust an existing scheme – the Parenthood Priority Scheme – so that all First-Timer Parents and Married Couples also qualify for this scheme. The current Parenthood Priority Scheme supports first-timer married couples who have children or who are expecting children. Under the scheme, up to 30% of the BTO flat supply and 50% of the supply of balance flats will be set aside for eligible applicants. We will now expand the scheme to cover First-Timer Parents and Married Couples too. That means that young married couples who do not yet have children can also qualify. To reflect this expansion, we will rename it as the Family and Parenthood Priority Scheme. And with more families qualifying, we will further increase the flat supply that we set aside for them – up to 40% of the BTO flat supply and 60% of the Sale of Balance Flats (SBF) flat supply, in all launches in mature estates, non-mature estates and prime location housing.”
“There are some who may have owned private property, some who had purchased a resale flat without taking housing grants and subsidies, as well as couples who are planning to get married. Among this diverse group, we need to give stronger support to younger married couples and parents. Indeed, one of the participants in our Forward Singapore Housing Conversations told us that, "It is hard to feel like a family or think about having kids if you don't have your own home." We fully recognise this. Having a home of their own will provide a stable environment for newly married couples to set up their families, and parents want to give their young children a conducive environment. These young married couples and parents also probably have shorter work experience, so they might not have sufficient savings to afford other housing options at the time. So, we will introduce a new category: First-Timer (Parents and Married Couples), who will enjoy enhanced support when they apply for a new HDB flat. Who will be in this group? First-timer families with children aged 18 and below, as well as young married couples aged 40 and below, who are embarking on their homeownership journey. They must also not have owned or sold any residential property before, nor had the chance to book a flat in the past five years. This is so that we can provide more targeted support for families who want to secure their first home quickly and settle down. That said, HDB may exercise flexibility on a case-by-case basis, if there are extenuating circumstances. For example, I have met adult children who have added themselves as co-owners to their parents' flat so that they could help their parents cope with the mortgage to keep their homes. They tend to come from lower-income families.”
“As Singapore recovers from the pandemic, we should also remember that the pace of construction is going up significantly, not just for HDB but other organisations and businesses too. Resources, manpower and construction capacity are not without their limits. We would not have been able to ramp up our BTO supply by 35% in 2022 if not for our pre-pandemic plans to build Shorter Waiting Time flats. Before COVID-19 hit, we were already planning to launch more flats with shorter waiting times of three years or less. These are flats that we build ahead of demand, a year or more before they are launched. And the land preparations would have started even earlier. So, when housing demand rose during the pandemic, we were able to tap on these sites meant for Shorter Waiting Time flats, and bring forward their launch dates and offer them in BTO exercises to meet immediate demand. After we address the current supply crunch, we will get back on track to launch more Shorter Waiting Time flats from 2024 onwards. By 2025, we plan to return to pre-COVID-19 levels, to launch around 2,000 to 3,000 of such flats per year. Third, we will have to lend a stronger helping hand to younger married couples and families who are trying to buy their first home. Throughout our Forward Singapore Housing Conversations, calls to give them more support came across loud and clear. Today, we already set aside the majority of our BTO flat supply for first-timers – at least 95% of the 4-room or larger flat supply in both mature and non-mature estates. First-timers are also given two ballots, compared to one for second-timers. But first-timers are a diverse group, as they include all eligible Singaporeans who have not enjoyed a housing subsidy before.”
“HDB is now building aggressively and on a very large scale, overseeing almost 100 BTO projects island-wide. By 2025, there will be more than 150 concurrent projects. As I have said before, we will launch up to 100,000 new flats in total from 2021 to 2025. Some Members have asked why we cannot build even more or build even faster. Let me explain because the process is not straightforward. I will speak about land preparation while my colleague Senior Minister of State Tan Kiat How will talk about HDB's productivity and innovation journey to build flats that are much taller than before and more comprehensive than in the past. Sir, we have land for housing, but many of these are not large tracts of undeveloped greenfield sites that we can readily move into today. Land preparation is a long and complex process. For greenfield sites, we need to ensure that supporting infrastructure like roads and sewers are ready and conduct extensive soil investigations. For brownfield sites, we may need to relocate existing users, clear existing structures and divert services underground, such as cables and sewers. We also pay special attention to the ecological and heritage significance of sites to ensure that we develop sensitively and sustainably. When needed, we engage extensively and conduct impact studies. This takes time. With the Old Police Academy at Mt Pleasant, for example, studies and engagements began in 2018, seven years before the launch of the first BTO project at this site in 2025. So, a lot of forward planning and preparation is required before we can even begin construction – about five to 10 years of lead time, or even more in some cases.”
“For Waterway Sunrise II, one of the more badly affected BTO projects, my colleagues at HDB, Expand Construction and Surbana Jurong rotated teams and worked overtime. They had to deal with unexpected challenges throughout the pandemic, like finding alternative sources of precast components when Malaysia implemented the movement control order. Thanks to the team's tremendous effort, we will finally deliver keys to all buyers by the end of this month. You may also recall Greatearth, a former main contractor that ran into financial difficulties. When that happened, HDB quickly onboarded new contractors within a month. We have since completed three of the former Greatearth BTO projects and delivered two of them ahead of their estimated completion dates. This year, we are on track to complete and hand over keys to another 20,000 HDB flats across 22 housing projects. My colleagues and I would like to thank Singaporeans for their patience and understanding. We know the delays have disrupted many of their life plans. Sir, across both the private sector and the public market, we are expecting close to 100,000 home completions between 2023 and 2025, with almost 40,000 home completions this year alone – this will be the highest number of home completions in the last five years, including the pre-COVID-19 years of 2018 and 2019. This increased supply should help to alleviate some of the pressures in the rental market, which Mr Louis Chua spoke about. Households who have been waiting for their keys will leave the rental market for their new homes, and the new homes will provide some additional rental supply. Second, we have significantly increased the supply of BTO flats. We launched more than 23,000 flats last year and will launch around the same number this year.”
“Chairman, I thank Members for their cuts. I will speak about public housing. My colleague, Minister Indranee Rajah will cover our efforts to transform Singapore into a City in Nature, and guide Singapore's future development. Senior Minister of State Sim Ann will highlight what we are doing to rejuvenate heartland shops and foster gracious communities. Senior Minister of State Tan Kiat How will speak about the transformation of our Built Environment sector. And finally, Minister of State Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim will share more about our support for seniors and the more vulnerable members of our society. Sir, last month, we reaffirmed this Government's commitment to provide affordable and accessible housing for Singaporeans and to keep improving our system. The housing market had been stable for a number of years until COVID-19 severely disrupted our building programme. We responded decisively to stabilise the situation and catch up on lost time, ramped up supply significantly and kept BTO prices almost flat in the last two years. Therefore, even in 2022, virtually all first-timers who applied for BTO flats in non-mature estates were successful within three tries. And more than eight in 10 BTO and resale flat buyers could service their HDB loans using their CPF contributions, with little to no cash outlay. What else are we doing to provide affordable and accessible housing for Singaporeans? Let me start with how we will help young married couples get their first home. Our first priority is to catch up on lost time and deliver keys to Singaporeans who have been waiting for their homes. My colleagues have been working very hard and we will turn the corner soon.”
“Of the animal abuse prosecution cases concluded between 2018 and 2022, only one case involved a repeat offender. Fines of $5,000 and $8,000 were imposed for this offender's first and second offences respectively.”
“The National Parks Board (NParks) commenced baseline surveys on the marine biodiversity in the Sisters' Islands Marine Park in 2015 and continues to survey the biodiversity there, as part of the wider monitoring of our coastal and marine habitats under the Nature Conservation Masterplan. For example, NParks keeps track of activities that may impact Singapore's coral reefs, intertidal areas and coastal forests, and conducts regular surveys of these habitats. The results of these surveys, including the baseline surveys for the Sisters' Islands Marine Park, will be published in the Southern Islands Biodiversity Survey report in 2024.”
“The minimum citizenship criterion for a family to purchase any new HDB flat is one Singapore Citizen (SC) aged 21 and above, and one Singapore Permanent Resident (SPR). Single SCs aged 35 and above can purchase an HDB flat on their own. They may buy a new 2-room flexi flat in the non-mature estates, or a resale flat of any flat type, excluding 3Gen flats, in both mature and non-mature estates. These options are similarly made available to SCs aged 35 and above who have married a non-resident (NR) spouse, that is, those who do not meet the minimum citizenship criterion as a family to purchase a new HDB flat. SCs aged below 35 are not eligible to purchase an HDB flat on their own, without another SC or PR family member to form a family nucleus. Nevertheless, we recognise that some SCs aged between 21 and 35 may wish to set up a family here with their NR family member, that is, a spouse, parent or child. For these SCs, HDB allows them to purchase a resale HDB flat, on the condition that the NR family member is allowed to stay in Singapore on some form of long-term visa, such as Long-Term Visit Pass or work pass of at least six months. This ensures that only NRs who are allowed to stay in Singapore on a long-term basis can be listed as essential occupiers for the family to qualify for the purchase of an HDB flat. We recognise the many different housing aspirations across the diverse group of Singaporeans who wish to purchase HDB flats. Given the limited land space and resources, some form of prioritisation is necessary to ensure sustainable development of our finite resources. The Ministry of National Development will continue to review our housing policies to meet the evolving needs of our society.”
“The number of dogs reported to have died at dog farms and pet shops since 2019 is in Table 1. The majority of the dogs in these premises died of chronic diseases, such as cancer, kidney disease and diabetes. In April 2022, the National Parks Board (NParks) enhanced its licensing conditions for pet boarders and breeders, to safeguard animal health and welfare. As part of the enhanced licensing conditions, dog farms are required to provide information on the cause of death of dogs under their care. NParks is considering extending this requirement to pet shops.”
“Flats under the Parenthood Provisional Housing Scheme (PPHS) have various site expiry dates. Out of the current stock of 1,430 PPHS flats: a) 900 (63%) are HDB flats such as unsold flats and public rental flats, which generally have longer and more flexible tenures of more than three years and can be used for PPHS as long as they are not required for more urgent uses; and b) 450 (31%) are vacated Selective En bloc Redevelopment Scheme (SERS) flats and 80 (6%) are polytechnic apartments, which generally have shorter tenures of around two to three years, and must be returned when the sites are needed for redevelopment or when the leases are up. The breakdown of PPHS flats from various sources in each of the past five years is shown in Table 1.”
“Various groups of the National Parks Board (NParks) officers are involved in carrying out wildlife trade regulation and enforcement. This includes officers from the Wildlife Trade Branch. For example, the Centre for Wildlife Forensics is involved in the identification and verification of wildlife specimens seized by NParks’ wildlife trade inspectors. This provides evidence for NParks’ Prosecution Branch to use in court when charging wildlife trade offenders. NParks also works closely with other agencies, international partners, and the community to tackle illegal wildlife trade. For example, NParks works closely with Singapore Customs and the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority to assess tip-offs and take a risk-based approach to screen and identify cargo for further inspection. NParks also works with its counterparts in other countries and international organisations like INTERPOL, to exchange information and expertise to strengthen enforcement efforts. Importantly. NParks works with industry stakeholders on public education efforts to raise awareness on illegal wildlife trade. This Whole-of-Government and multi-pronged approach enables NParks to carry out wildlife trade regulation and enforcement effectively. NParks will continually review its regulatory and enforcement frameworks to ensure that it has sufficient manpower, and to leverage science and technology, international cooperation and partnerships to support its work.”
“The data from Annex 9 of the handout that was shared with Members of Parliament during the debate on public housing motions on 6 February 2023 were cited from the Demographia International Housing Affordability Report (2022 Edition). Demographia International Housing Affordability rates middle-income housing affordability using the "median multiple", which is the median house price divided by the gross median household income (pre-tax). The estimated house price data in the report are based on "housing types representing the majority of existing dwellings in each nation", using publicly available data, including official government produced sales registers, authoritative real estate time series and market reports. As housing landscapes and typologies differ across countries, we do not track the granular information as requested by the Member.”
“Among the households that took an HDB loan from 2010 to 2022 and have redeemed their housing loan, about 86% of them have redeemed their housing loan ahead of the loan tenure. Among the households that took an HDB loan from 1997 to 2009 and have redeemed their housing loan, about 83% of them have redeemed their housing loan ahead of the loan tenure.”
“NParks encourages responsible fishing in the waters around Singapore. This includes the proper use of fishing gear, for example, by avoiding their use in shallow areas such as intertidal flats and coral reefs. Today, the removal of biodiversity by any means, including fishing and the use of nets, lines or traps to do so, is already prohibited at certain areas managed by NParks, such as the Sisters' Islands Marine Park. Beyond these areas, NParks also closely monitors the state of marine biodiversity in collaboration with stakeholders such as academics and interest groups, and will continue to study whether further measures are needed to better protect biodiversity in our waters.”
“Sir, in my closing speech, I mentioned that the Proximity Housing Grant was one of the housing grants that HDB offers for the purchase of HDB flats. I would like to clarify that the Proximity Housing Grant is offered to eligible buyers only for the purchase of resale flats and not for the purchase of flats generally.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, with your leave, may I make a factual clarification to my closing speech at the 7 February 2023 Sitting, during the Motion debate on Public Housing? [Please refer to "Affordable and Accessible Public Housing, and Public Housing Policies ", Official Report, 7 February 2023, Vol 95, Issue 82, Motions section.]”
“The Building and Construction Authority (BCA) intends to track whether students from the Nitec in Built Environment (Vertical Transportation) course join the lift and escalator industry after graduation. BCA will also study the feasibility of doing the same for other relevant mechanical and electrical engineering courses.”
“The number of local lift and escalator (L&E) technicians in each Progressive Wage Model (PWM) job level in the last two years is tabulated below. More than 40 L&E firms, maintaining about 95% of the L&E in Singapore, have adopted the L&E PWM. In December 2022, the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) mandated the L&E PWM as a registration requirement for all L&E maintenance firms. Firms that currently undertake L&E maintenance works have until 8 June 2023 to register with BCA under the new registration conditions.”
“The total land development cost of HDB’s Home Ownership Programme in a given financial year depends on several factors, including the location of the land parcels, the prevailing market value of these land parcels when they were purchased, and the total number of flats completed and delivered to buyers from these land parcels. A large part of the increase in total land cost between FY2020/2021 and FY2021/2022, is due to the increase in the number of units delivered to buyers in FY2021/2022. In FY2021/2022, 13,506 units were delivered to buyers, a 66% increase as compared to the 8,124 units delivered to buyers in FY2020/2021. On average, the land development cost per unit has increased by 5% between FY2020/2021 and FY2021/2022. The increase in the per unit land development cost can be attributed to the increase in the proportion of units delivered in mature estates, which tend to have a higher per unit land cost compared to non-mature estates, and the increase in proportion of larger flat types in non-mature estates delivered in FY2021/2022, which translated to a higher per unit land cost in non-mature estates. For example, there was a higher number of units delivered in mature estates such as Queenstown and Toa Payoh in FY 2021/2022 compared to FY 2020/2021.”
“The specification requiring a six-year warranty for external paintwork is stipulated in HDB’s standard building specifications as far back as 2004. HDB’s consultants on the ground will supervise the contractor’s works to ensure that such requirements are met, and the correct work methods and materials are used. Generally, after a block is handed over to the Town Council (TC) for maintenance, the building contractor must carry out rectification works should defects arise during the warranty period. HDB does not monitor the incidence of warranty claims made by TCs. Notwithstanding, HDB may assist TCs by advising on the contractor’s contractual obligations outlined in the warranty requirements.”
“Bioswales and rain gardens do not contribute to the formation of mould or lead to the premature deterioration of building façades, as they are installed away from the building edges. In addition, such water features do not retain permanent bodies of water. As naturalised drainage systems, they help to filter out the pollutants of surface run-off, after which the cleansed water is discharged into PUB’s main drainage systems.”
“To rectify mould growth on external walls, thorough cleaning and patching of cracks are conducted, before repainting the walls with sealer and algae-resistant paint. This is usually carried out by Town Councils as part of their management and maintenance of the common property. The external walls of all HDB developments are painted with one coat of water-based sealer and two coats of algae-resistant emulsion paint. The water-based sealer enables better paint adhesion to the surface and is commonly used on external walls before the application of algae-resistant emulsion paint. The algae-resistant paint contains biocide which prohibits the growth of algae culture and gives the paint its algae resistant properties. The sealer and emulsion paint used in HDB blocks complies with the Singapore Standard 579 and the Singapore Standard 345 respectively, and they are also commonly used for buildings in Singapore, for both public and private sector projects. These standards, which have helped ensure that external façade walls remain clean and clear of mould over the last 20 years, were most recently reviewed with industry experts in 2021 to ensure that the standards are updated and remain relevant to the industry. These standards were also used in numerous other HDB projects, where no such incidents of mould growth have been identified, including developments located near waterbodies. HDB is currently commissioning a technical assessment to determine the cause of mould growth at Anchorvale Parkview and Matilda Court. Depending on the outcome of this assessment, the Singapore Standards Council will assess the need to further review the relevant standards, on top of the periodic review carried out every five to eight years to ensure their relevance.”
“The Housing and Development Board (HDB) offers Build-To-Order (BTO) flats to meet the housing needs of diverse buyer groups, including first-timer (FT) and second-timer (ST) families, seniors and singles. We provide priority in flat allocation to applicants with greater housing needs, so that they have better chances of securing a flat. For instance, most of HDB’s BTO flat supply has been set aside for FT family applicants to support Singaporeans’ marriage and parenthood aspirations. This is on top of the additional ballot chance these applicants receive, as compared to ST families. HDB also ensures a good mix of residents demographically and socio-economically in all its housing estates by building a range of flat types ─ from 2-room Flexi to 5-room and 3Gen flats ─ on the same floor or in the same block, precinct or neighbourhood. Public rental flats are also integrated with sold flats in the same block or precinct, where feasible. This, in turn, ensures that HDB estates continue to remain inclusive and cater to applicants with different budgets and needs. As part of the Forward Singapore exercise, many participants acknowledged that there are varying degrees of urgency in housing needs, even within the first-timer applicants. Most agree that we should prioritise first-timers who are looking to purchase their first home, especially for those with more urgent housing needs, such as first-timer couples who already have children but are without their own home, as well as lower-income families, who have fewer options in the open market. We have gathered valuable views from the Forward Singapore exercise, which will inform our review of how to prioritise access to public housing for those with more urgent housing needs.”
“The rental rates under the Parenthood Provisional Housing Scheme (PPHS) are set taking into consideration the monthly household incomes of eligible families and are highly subsidised to ensure that they are affordable for these families. For example, the rents for 3-room flats, which form the bulk of the PPHS flat supply, range from $600 to $900, about 65% to 80% lower than market rents in the same towns. HDB offers a range of flat types across PPHS application exercises, depending on the vacancies available at the time. Applicants can check the flat types offered and the rental rates on HDB’s website before applying and apply for flats that they can afford. Families also have the option of co-sharing a PPHS flat with another eligible family, if they want to lower their rental expenses. Lower-income households who are waiting for their new flat to be completed and have no other temporary housing options can approach HDB for assistance. HDB may offer them Interim Rental Housing, which has lower rents, on a case-by-case basis.”
“All BTO projects are provided with a Defects Liability Period (DLP) of 12 months, generally starting from the substantial completion of a project. During this period, the contractors are required to rectify any internal and external defects reported. Under HDB’s building contracts, contractors and their suppliers or specialists are further required to provide warranties covering certain items or products that typically last for at least a year. For example, HDB stipulates a six-year warranty for external paintwork. After a new development is handed over to the Town Council for management and maintenance, the Town Council can activate the warranty if there are defects or imperfections found on the completed works during the DLP or warranty period. The building contractor or specialist contractor will then be required to rectify them. The Town Council may seek advice from HDB as well as obtain the assessment of a specialist when investigating the affected building(s) to recommend optimal rectification methods. HDB may further investigate any feedback received and take samples of materials like paint for quality checks and tests, as required.”