Keeping up with different needs and rising aspirations

Over the last 50 years, HDB has continued to formulate sound public housing policies and schemes, which not only support national objectives like racial harmony and strong family ties, but also meet the varied needs and aspirations of the people at different life-cycle stages. Singaporeans who qualify for an HDB flat can find a housing flat type or scheme to fit their different needs and pockets. From young couples setting up their first home, families, singles to the elderly wanting to age-in-place, carefully calibrated schemes helped prioritise housing allocation among those who qualify. 

Young Couples 

Young couples buying an HDB flat for the first time enjoy better chances of getting a HDB flat so that they can set up home earlier. Over time, with a more robust resale market, their chances have been enhanced to give them an edge over HDB flat owners applying for a second subsidised flat. At least 90 percent of flats are set aside for first time applicants who are given twice as many chances under the ballot over other applicants. 

Multi-generational families 

Enhanced chances are also given to married children who wish to live together with their parents or in separate flats near each other. Currently in place is the Married Child Priority Scheme (MCPS), giving such applicants double chances over other applicants. 

Elderly 

As society evolves, some elderly flat owners may prefer to maintain their independence while still living in close proximity to family and friends. The Studio Apartment (SA) Scheme (introduced in 1997) which has a shorter lease of 30 years makes good, practical sense for this segment of the population. They can get a place of their own in HDB estates where public amenities are easily accessible and enjoy the cash proceeds from the sale of their previous flat. 

The latest in monetisation options for elderly flat owners is the Lease Buyback Scheme (LBS) launched in 2008. Under the scheme, HDB will buy back the tail-end of the lease of their flat, leaving them with a shorter 30-year lease and give them a monthly payout based on the remaining lease and a generous Government grant. 

Needy Families 

For smaller flats intended for the low-income, the income ceiling is set lower, at $3,000 so that they need not compete with households with higher incomes. They also enjoy more subsidies in the form of grants given on top of existing housing subsidies. The Additional Housing Grant (AHG) to help them own homes has been recently enhanced, from $30,000 to $40,000 for those earning less than $1,500 a month. Middle-income families will also benefit as the qualifying household income ceiling has been increased to $5,000 a month. 

For families who need to right-size their flat due to changing financial circumstances, the supply of smaller flats has been increased. In addition to those already offered for sale, about 4,000 new ones are expected to be completed over the next two to three years. For the truly needy, HDB provides highly-subsidised rental flats under its Public Rental Scheme to eligible Singapore citizens, with monthly rents from as low as $32. 

Singles 

With changing norms and in recognition of their contributions to the country, the family-only housing policy has been eased to allow singles to buy a resale HDB flat in HDB estates. Further changes mean that singles have a greater choice of housing today, to help them meet their aspirations of owning bigger homes. They also get to enjoy grants and subsidies. Those who buy a resale flat with their parents will benefit from an enhanced grant – a move that also encourages unmarried Singaporeans to care for their elderly parents. 

More affluent families 

Progressively, in response to changing lifestyles and growing affluence, from the 1980s onwards, bigger flat types - namely 4-room and 5-room flats have become standard housing fare. With the early flats that came with bare cemented floors, residents covered them up with cheap, colourful linoleum. With bigger budgets, house-proud owners of the flats that came after hacked their floors to re-lay new tiles and replaced the plain solid room doors with more decorative ones, in keeping with their interior design ideals. To reduce all this wastage and meet different needs, HDB subsequently reclassified its flats into two categories – Standard and Premium Apartments, with the latter offering special design attributes and better quality flat finishes. ‘White Flats’ without internal partitions were launched in 1999 to give owners the flexibility to tailor flat interiors. 

HDB also introduced other innovative housing schemes that involved the private sector so as to inject greater variety and choice. The Design, Build & Sell Scheme (DBSS) has met with warm responses from flat buyers looking for something a bit more special. 

Meeting the evolving housing trends and higher expectations also means that HDB needs to come up with new and creative approaches. 

The result of an international design competition, The Pinnacle@Duxton is HDB’s first 50 storey development with unique features like sky bridges, an integrated carpark, and a host of commercial and social facilities. The project has also been named the winner of Asia and Australasia's 'Best Tall Building' by the Chicago-based Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) in June 2010.