Single children given priority access to buy flats to live near parents, more BTO flats for 2nd-timer families in July 2025 sales exercise

The new Family Care Scheme (FCS) (Proximity) will come into effect from the July 2025 sales exercises, the Housing and Development Board (HDB) announced on Jul. 20.

This means that single children can enjoy priority when applying for a new flat to live with or near their parents, like married children.

Prior to this, only married children enjoy this priority under the Married Child Priority Scheme, and the Senior Priority Scheme sets aside flats for seniors who wish to live with/near their parents or married child.

These two existing schemes will subsume under the new Family Care Scheme (Proximity), with no change to the priority access for married couples and seniors.

Priority to live with or near parents, regardless of marital status

HDB said that currently, up to 65 per cent of 2-room Flexi Build-To-Order (BTO) flats and up to five per cent of Sale of Balance Flats (SBF) are set aside for first-timer singles, after allocating flats to seniors.

Within this quota, up to 30 per cent of BTO flats and up to two per cent of SBF flats will be set aside for first-timer singles applying under the FCS (Proximity).

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong first announced the Family Care Scheme (FCS) at the 2024 National Day Rally, aiming to strengthen intergenerational family support by promoting proximity living between parents and children.

The FCS has two components:

1. FCS (Proximity), which will commence from the upcoming July 2025 sales exercises.
2. FCS (Joint Balloting), which will take effect from the October 2025 sales exercises.

More BTO flats for second-timer families

In the July 2025 BTO sales exercise, HDB will also increase the allocation quota of 3-room and larger BTO flats for second-timer families by five percentage points:

• Up to 20 per cent (from up to 15 per cent currently) of 3-room Standard flats
• Up to 10 per cent (from up to five per cent currently) of 3-room Plus and Prime flats, 4-room and larger Standard, Plus and Prime flats.

Other enhancements

Two other enhancements for eligible second-timer families will also take effect from the July 2025 sales exercise.

To help young couples ready to settle down earlier, the Deferred Income Assessment (DIA) scheme will allow eligible couples to apply for a new flat first.

They can then defer their income assessment for the Enhanced CPF Housing Grants and an HDB housing loan until closer to the key collection date.

This will allow couples to qualify for larger loans, as their incomes are likely to be more stable and higher by then, without having to defer their flat application.

Under the enhanced scheme, only one of the two parties needs to be a recent or current full-time student or National Serviceman, compared to previously, where both parties needed to meet the requirement.

As announced during the Ministry of National Development (MND) Committee of Supply 2025, the Fresh Start Housing Grant will be increased to S$75,000, up from S$50,000.

This will support second-timer public rental households with children in realising their home ownership aspirations.

Eligible second-timer families can use the increased grant to buy a new 2-room Flexi or 3-room Standard BTO or SBF flat on a shorter lease.

"We will continue to refine our public housing policies to keep public housing affordable, accessibly and inclusive for Singaporeans," said HDB.

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