Workers’ Party representatives commit to addressing the critical issues of housing supply and eligibility in Parliament next week.
SINGAPORE — Members of Parliament from the Workers’ Party have voiced their concerns regarding the accessibility and affordability of housing for Singaporeans last year and are set to continue advocating for these issues in the upcoming parliamentary session.
Mr. Leon Perera (Aljunied GRC) and Assoc Prof Jamus Lim (Sengkang GRC) have indicated in recent social media updates that this is a topic frequently raised by their constituents. In September, Mr. Louis Chua (Sengkang GRC) proposed lowering the Build-To-Order (BTO) eligibility age to 28 for singles but emphasized that the “most pressing issue” remains the supply and availability of homes.
During the session next week, Mr. Chua plans to inquire of the Minister for National Development about the annual number of applicants per HDB BTO flat for first-time, family, and single applicants from 2018 to 2022. He will also seek information on the 25th percentile, median, average, and 75th percentile household incomes, as well as the BTO price to household income ratios for families in each of these years.
The Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Pritam Singh (Aljunied GRC), will similarly address the total dollar value of housing grants and subsidies allocated by HDB for BTO apartments in both mature and non-mature estates from 2010 to 2022, along with the number of flats constructed in each category.
Additionally, he will inquire about the estimated total dollar value of housing grants and subsidies required for up to 100,000 new HDB BTO flats planned for launch from 2021 to 2025 in both mature and non-mature estates, as well as the total number of apartments to be built in each category.
Mr. Chua will also ask the Minister for National Development whether a time-limited rental subsidy could be considered for applicants qualifying under the Parenthood Provisional Housing Scheme and Public Rental Scheme if they cannot secure alternative temporary housing and have yet to obtain a flat from HDB after a specified timeframe.
Lastly, he will question the Minister about the introduction of Build-To-Order (BTO) flats with shorter waiting times since 2018, specifically asking for (a) the number of such flats launched each year and (b) the expected proportion of shorter waiting time BTO flats as a percentage of total launches from 2023 to 2025.
