Written answer by Ministry of National Development on unmarried mothers under age of 35 who seek assistance for public housing application

Jul 3, 2023

Question No: 4716

Question by: Mr Desmond Choo

To ask the Minister for National Development (a) how many unmarried mothers under the age of 35 have requested for assistance to apply for public housing in 2022; (b) what percentage of such applicants have been successful in purchasing a BTO or resale flat with the Ministry's assistance; and (c) what are the factors considered by the Ministry when assessing such requests holistically.

Answer:

In 2022, HDB received 147 requests from unmarried parents under the age of 35 for assistance to buy an HDB flat. Of these, 75% of the requests to buy a new flat from HDB were approved, and 52% of the requests to buy a resale flat were approved.

2        HDB assesses each request holistically based on the applicant’s individual circumstances. Those who are aged 21 and above and can afford to buy a flat, will be allowed to buy up to a 3-room flat in a non-mature estate from HDB, or a resale flat. Those who cannot afford to buy a flat may be considered for public rental housing if it is assessed to be in their child’s best interests, taking into account input from social workers as necessary.