The Housing Development Board (HDB) will be launching the Parenthood Provisional Housing Scheme (PPHS) (Open Market) Voucher scheme to provide temporary support for young couples who are renting from the open market while awaiting the completion of their new flats.

The scheme, which was announced by Minister for National Development (MND) Desmond Lee at this year's Committee of Supply debate, will allow eligible families to apply for a rental voucher of S$300 per month to defray the cost of their rental.

What is the PPHS?

The PPHS provides a subsidised temporary housing option for new HDB flat applicants whose household incomes are S$7,000 or below while they wait to collect the keys to their new flats.

Married couples with at least one child aged 18 and below, including expectant parents, receive priority in the allocation of flats.

To meet the current demand, HDB has doubled the supply of PPHS flats since 2021 to 2,000 units, and will further double it to 4,000 units by the second half of 2025.

PPHS (Open Market) Voucher Scheme

The PPHS (Open Market) Voucher Scheme will run for one year, starting from July 2024.

It is meant to serve as a "temporary bridging measure" before the majority of the new PPHS flats are ready.

Eligible families will receive S$300 per month on a reimbursement basis, for complete months of tenancy that start between Jul. 1, 2024 and Jun. 30, 2025.

Based on the voucher quantum of S$300 per month, eligible families will receive up to S$3,600 if they qualify for the full year of support.

The full criteria is available on HDB's website.

The criteria ensures that the scheme is targeted at families who require more support to defray the cost of renting from the open market.

Families will also have the flexibility to select a rental option – whether a whole flat or an HDB bedroom – that suits their budget and needs.

Application procedure

Application for the PPHS Voucher will open on Jul. 1, 2024 via the HDB InfoWEB.

Before applying, applicants must ensure that their landlord has registered their tenancy with HDB, and that their NRIC address has been updated to their rented address.

Fiancé-fiancée applicants must submit their marriage certificate within the first three months of their tenancy period to qualify for the PPHS Voucher.

Applicants renting from immediate family members or close relatives will not be eligible for the PPHS Voucher.

Eligible households will receive the PPHS Voucher for each complete month of tenancy, and the voucher will not be pro-rated for periods of tenancy that do not make up a complete month.

To qualify for support from any given month, applicants must submit their application by the end of the next month.

To qualify for the full year of support, applicants must have registered and their tenancy must start on or before Jul. 31, 2024. They must also submit their voucher application to HDB by Aug. 31, 2024.

Their tenancies must also run for at least 12 months from July 2024 to receive the full 12 months of PPHS Voucher support.

Families currently renting a PPHS flat from HDB can choose to rent from the open market and apply for the PPHS Voucher, if they so wish. However, such applicants will only qualify for the PPHS Voucher after they have ended their PPHS flat tenancy with HDB.

Eligible applicants will receive the PPHS Voucher on a reimbursement basis via PayNow-NRIC.

Each reimbursement tranche will include up to six months of support.

The first reimbursement tranche will typically be about seven months from date of application.

Related stories

Top photo via Anatoliy Shostak/Unsplash