Oral Answer by Ministry of National Development on whether the proportion of units under the Married Child Priority Scheme can be increased for HDB's BTO projects within mature estates to facilitate inter-generational familial support

Jul 27, 2021

Ms Tin Pei Ling: To ask the Minister for National Development whether the proportion of units under the Married Child Priority Scheme can be increased for HDB's BTO projects within mature estates to facilitate inter-generational familial support.

Answer: 

The Married Child Priority Scheme (MCPS) gives priority to families buying new HDB flats to live with or near their parents or married children. Under the MCPS, 30% of the new flat supply in the mature estates is set aside for first-timer families. For second-timer families, it is 3%. 

We recognise the importance of supporting the needs of parents and married children who wish to live with or near each other for mutual care and support, and therefore set aside a significant proportion of flats – of up to about one-third of our new flat supply in the mature estates – under the MCPS. Other than the Married Child Priority Scheme, we also have in place other schemes such as the Multi-Generation Priority Scheme and Senior Priority Scheme, as well as 3Gen flats, to facilitate mutual care and support amongst families. 

Within our limited flat supply, we also have to meet the housing needs of other groups of Singaporeans, including first-timer families with children via the Parenthood Priority Scheme, and families with three or more children via the Third Child Priority Scheme. Therefore, we are unable to increase the proportion of flats set aside under the MCPS at this juncture. Having said that, we recognise that many children wish to live near their parents for mutual care and support. To meet the high demand for new flats in mature estates, HDB has launched more flats in mature estates in recent years. A portion of BTO projects in the mature towns and estates increased from 44 % in 2017 to 55 % last year. 

Flat buyers who wish to live with or near their parents or children may also consider buying a resale flat, and can receive a Proximity Housing Grant (PHG) of up to $30,000 for their flat purchase.