Written answer by Ministry of National Development on review of application process under Sale of Balance Flat scheme

Mar 20, 2023

Question No: 2843

Question by: Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong

To ask the Minister for National Development whether HDB can review its current process for application of flats under the Sale of Balance Flats scheme with the view to shorten the current total time taken for the sales process from the launch of sales exercise to the balloting and the allocation of flats, given the relatively fewer numbers of such flats on sale each time.

Answer:

During each Sale of Balance Flats (SBF) exercise, flats that remain unselected from earlier Build-To-Order (BTO) sales launches, surplus Selective En bloc Redevelopment Scheme (SERS) replacement flats, and flats from other sources such as those repurchased by HDB, are offered to Singaporeans.

2        Although SBF exercises may involve fewer flats than BTO  launches, the former comprise a wider range of flat types, locations, and prices. This means that the number of application categories (i.e., towns and flat types) offered are higher under the SBF exercises, which also often see high flat application rates. These are factors which add to the balloting and selection time.

3        SBF applicants typically receive their ballot results about 6 weeks from the close of the application period, and would be invited to book a flat within 6 months from the release of the ballot results.

4        HDB regularly reviews its sales processes and will continue to refine them where possible, to meet the needs of home seekers.