There are "practical and operational challenges" to launching more Build-to-Order (BTO) flats with wait times of less than three years, said Minister for National Development Desmond Lee in parliament on Jul. 2.

Wait times for BTO flats are a topic Lee has spoken about on multiple occasions.

He commented in December 2023 that BTO waiting times had recovered to pre-pandemic levels of about three to four years, compared to the pandemic peak of four to five years.

Lee said on Jul. 2 that the Housing and Development Board (HDB) will release 2,800 shorter-wait-time (SWT) flats in 2024 to meet its construction targets.

These will have wait times of less than three years.

Challenging to launch more SWT flats

Ang Mo Kio, GRC Member of Parliament (MP) Gan Thiam Poh, asked Lee whether HDB could shorten the waiting time for BTO flats to about 18 months.

In response, Lee admitted that there are "practical and operational challenges" to launching more SWT flats.

"These include difficult site conditions, extensive land preparation required for brownfield sites, need for consultation with stakeholder groups, and construction industry capacity," Lee said.

Restating his observations from last December, Lee said that close to 70 per cent of the flats launched in 2023 had a waiting time of four years or less.

He said that moving forward, HDB targets to launch about 2,000 to 3,000 SWT flats per year.

"HDB will continue to innovate and aim for higher efficiency, and remains committed to deliver flats as quickly as possible to Singaporeans," Lee added.

Interim support for waiting couples

Lee also noted that eligible families awaiting the completion of their BTO flats can tap into the Parenthood Provisional Housing Scheme (PPHS), which provides interim housing for such families.

He added that HDB will further double the PPHS supply to 4,000 flats by 2025.

Lee said that eligible families may also tap on the PPHS (Open Market) Voucher to defray the cost of renting an HDB flat or bedroom in the open market.

The scheme was announced at the Committee of Supply debates by Lee in March, and gives such families a S$300 voucher every month for a year to offset their rent.

Shorter wait time flat launches

Top image from HDB / Facebook