Written Answer by Ministry of National Development on applications for public rental flats from single unwed parents

Jul 8, 2019


Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang: To ask the Minister for National Development for each year in the past five years:

(a) how many single unwed parents applied for a HDB flat under the Public Rental Scheme;

(b) how many of such single unwed parents were allocated a flat without submitting an appeal; and

(c) how many of such single unwed parents were allocated a flat following an appeal.


Answer:

Since 2014, we have received 1,014 requests from single unwed parents to rent a public rental flat.  The individual circumstances of each person were reviewed to understand their housing options and level of family support. 380 single unwed parents were successful in their application for a rental flat. The rest were assessed to be able to stay with family or afford alternative housing options.

The annual figures from 2014 to May 2019 are in Table 1.

Table 1: Requests from Single Unwed Parents to Rent a Public Rental Flat and Number of Requests Granted

Year

Number of Requests[1]

Number of

Requests Granted

2014

177

23

2015

224

32

2016

177

48

2017

217

92

2018

301

131

2019 (31 May)

157

54


[1] The request figures are unique within each year, but some individuals made requests in more than one year.

We will continue to review every request holistically, with input from social workers where needed, to provide housing assistance to single unwed parents and their children.