A new Housing board programme has been rolled out last December to help families own a HDB flat.
Photo credit: Ministry of National Development
Aptly named the Fresh Start Housing Scheme, it is aimed at helping families who have once lived in subsidised housing and are now living in rental flats. They can now apply for 2-room flexi flats with shorter leases of 45 to 65 years, which means they pay less than the usual 99-year leasehold HDB flats secured directly from the housing board.
These will be a boost for lower-income families or those wanting to move on and up from the rental schemes. But as these rare 2-room flexi units are also made available to singles and senior citizens, they are one of the most popular unit types in the board’s latest BTO (build-to-order) sales launch. 713 such 2-room units were put up for ballot and the subscription rate was almost four times that with 2,894 applicants. First-time home buyers are also allowed to apply for grants of up to $35,000.
Photo credit: HDB
There are however clauses in the Fresh Start Housing Scheme that limit qualifying applicants. Households applying under this scheme must have at least 1 citizen parent, 1 citizen child under the age of 16 and at least 1 family member must have had a stable employment for the last 12 months. The Ministry of Social and Family Development will also need to assess applicants and they must not have accumulated more than 3 months in arrears on their rental units.
