Higher BTO supply and ‘right conditions’ will allow for higher income ceiling, lower singles’ eligibility age: Sun Xueling
‘Policy space’ is needed for these moves, she says
[SINGAPORE] A higher Build-To-Order (BTO) flat supply will allow the government to raise the income eligibility threshold and lower the eligibility age for singles, said Senior Minister of State for National Development Sun Xueling in Parliament on Friday (Sep 26).
The government is aware of the need to raise the income ceiling from the current S$14,000, and of “unmet demand” from singles, she said, but added: “To make further policy moves, we need policy space and a higher supply of BTO flats.”
The “robust supply of public housing” is continuing, and “when the right conditions are in place”, the income ceiling will be raised and singles’ eligibility age lowered.
In an Addendum to the President’s Address last week, Minister for National Development Chee Hong Tat said the ministry would revise the income ceiling and “study how to provide more housing options”, including for singles, seniors and larger families.
The BTO-related moves were among plans to meet housing aspirations that Sun outlined on Friday, the final day of debate on the President’s Address.
She reiterated plans to launch 55,000 BTO flats from 2025 to 2027, up 10 per cent from an earlier commitment of 50,000.
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For private housing, 25,000 units are expected to come on stream from 2025 to 2027 through the government land sales programme, with new estates in more central locations such as Newton and Pearl’s Hill.
On affordability, Sun said there are signs that resale prices would continue moderating, after data showed second-quarter prices growing at the slowest pace since Q2 2020.
As more BTO flats reach their minimum occupancy period from 2026, the increase in resale supply will help moderate prices, she said. The ramp-up in BTO supply will also dampen resale demand.
New estates
Besides keeping public housing affordable and accessible, Sun laid out the approach to planning new estates and rejuvenating older ones.
The inter-agency BTO Coordination Committee, set up last year for “resident-centric” planning of new areas such as Tengah and Kranji, is looking into issues such as transport accessibility, construction disamenities and also mobile signal strength.
She highlighted three areas that the Housing & Development Board (HDB) is working on: sheltered linkways, childcare and food options.
Sheltered linkways can potentially be implemented at the BTO construction stage, especially if there are cost savings.
Childcare centres may be built “earlier” in the estate’s development, to minimise the gap between the first residents moving in and getting access to them.
Food operators are often hesitant to open when footfall may be low in the initial period, noted Sun. The government already provides a rent-free period to tide operators over this period, but is studying ways to enhance such measures, as well as “alternatives for residents”.
Upgrading flats
For older flats, more details on the Home Improvement Programme (HIP) II – a second round of upgrading for flats that are 60 years or older – will be announced next year.
Many flats aged around 30 years have already benefited from HIP, which covers essentials such as toilets, doors and spalling concrete.
HIP II will be more comprehensive, said Sun, using “updated technology”.
She cited the example of water seepage, which becomes more common and damages concrete as buildings age.
HDB is testing a scanning technology which can see beyond the surface of the concrete, trace the root cause and make more timely repairs, said Sun. “HDB is currently exploring how to scale up its use in a cost-effective manner.”
Rail reliability
Earlier in the debate, Senior Minister of State for Transport Murali Pillai outlined three strategies for a robust transport system: enhancing ageing infrastructure for resilience; harnessing new technologies; and developing a professional and adaptive workforce.
For resilience, the government will create more alternative routes to reduce the impact of disruptions, improve maintenance and ensure quick recovery.
Still, Murali noted that rail disruptions cannot be completely eliminated. “We will invest to reduce these, but they will never be eliminated.
“But when disruptions occur, we will ensure recovery as quickly and expeditiously. We will communicate with commuters and help them find alternative routes.”
On technology, Singapore will adopt innovations for higher efficiency and greener transport, while improving cybersecurity defences for key transport infrastructure.
And as innovations transform jobs, the workforce will be upskilled accordingly, including in artificial intelligence and data science.
Describing transport as “a dynamic sector with good jobs for Singaporeans of all ages and backgrounds”, he encouraged more citizens to join the sector.
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