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MORE OPTIONS FOR PARENTS, MARRIED COUPLES
With the new classification of flats from next year, first-timer parents and married couples will be able to get first priority across all Standard flats islandwide.
This gives them more options under the priority scheme beyond the current selection of four-room or smaller flats in non-mature estates.
“This means that first-timer parents and married couples should be able to select a flat after fewer attempts and have more choice, in more locations,” Mr Lee said.
There will be no change to the treatment of existing HDB flats, which will continue under current rules such as having a five-year minimum occupation period.
“This means that Singaporeans who fall outside of the S$14,000 income ceiling will still have access to the existing 1.1 million flats and Standard flats as they enter the resale market,” he added.
Mr Lee said his ministry has engaged more than 16,000 Singaporeans over the past year as part of the Forward Singapore exercise.
These conversations helped to reaffirm the key principles of public housing – to keep home ownership affordable, maintain a good social mix and keep the system fair, he added.
Keeping public flats affordable “gives Singaporeans a tangible stake in our country”, he said. “It also allows us to sink roots, build our families, connect to community.”
The system must also be fair, he emphasised, noting that public housing should primarily be for owner occupation and not speculative investment.