Written Answer by Ministry of National Development on whether there will be a review of the current HDB flat allocation system for BTOs

May 10, 2021

Mr Shawn Huang Wei Zhong: To ask the Minister for National Development whether there will be a review of the current HDB flat allocation system for BTOs to ensure that the system continues to be inclusive, fair, transparent and equitable for all Singaporeans. 

Answer:

The allocation of flats in Build-To-Order (BTO) exercises serves to meet the housing needs of different buyer groups – first-timer (FT) and second-timer (ST) families, seniors, and singles. Given Singapore’s limited land and resources to build new flats, we need to prioritise the allocation of BTO flats among these different groups. 

Generally, applicants with greater housing need enjoy priority in HDB’s flat allocation system. For instance, FT families receive an extra ballot chance compared to ST families, and FT families expecting a child or who have a child aged 18 years old or younger can qualify for priority under the Parenthood Priority Scheme. The eligibility criteria and allocation quotas for HDB’s priority schemes are published on the HDB InfoWEB. 

HDB also strives to ensure that the needs of vulnerable groups are met, thereby keeping our public housing estates inclusive. For instance, public rental tenants who are able and wish to buy their own home enjoy priority under the Tenants’ Priority Scheme. 

All applications are put through a computerised balloting process to allocate queue numbers to flat applicants. At every sales exercise, rigorous audits and checks are carried out. These include checking applicants’ eligibility, auditing the computer balloting process, and counter-checking ballot results before publishing them. These steps ensure that the balloting process remains robust and fair to all applicants.  

MND/HDB will continue to conduct regular reviews of our public housing policies to ensure that they meet the evolving needs of society.