Written Answer by Ministry of National Development on unsold units in HDB’s Sale of Balance Flats and Open Booking exercises

Oct 6, 2020

Mr Murali Pillai: To ask the Minister for National Development in each of the last three years (a) how many (i) Sale of Balance flats (SBF) and (ii) open booking flats remained unsold for more than two years; (b) what are the main reasons for this; and (c) whether the Ministry will consider lifting the Ethnic Integration Policy criterion for such flats.

Answer:

As of 30 Sep 2020, only two flats that were previously offered through Sale of Balance Flats (SBF) exercises and open booking have remained unselected for more than two years, from the time they were first offered under an SBF exercise. 
 
Flats may remain unselected for various reasons. Besides the Ethnic Integration Policy (EIP) limits, other reasons could include the personal preferences of applicants, the flats’ attributes like their location, layout or storey height, and the surrounding facilities and amenities.  

There are currently no plans to lift the EIP limits for unselected flats, given the relatively small number of flats that have remained unselected, and the various reasons why this may be the case. The EIP remains important in ensuring that our HDB estates continue to reflect a diverse mix of ethnic groups, to promote racial harmony and strengthen social cohesion.