SINGAPORE: National Development Minister Chee Hong Tat said on Thursday (Jan 22) that if the demand for public housing stays strong, the Housing and Development Board (HDB) can build more BTO flats than its target of 55,000 units from 2025 to 2027.
Mr Chee said this at this year’s Built Environment and Real Estate Prospects Seminar held by the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) and Redas (Real Estate Developers’ Association of Singapore).
He began his speech by noting that the theme of the seminar, “Unlocking Enterprise Growth in the Built Environment: Policies, Partnerships, and Innovation,” outlines the direction for the Built Environment sector.
Singapore is known far and wide for its public housing, where around 80% of its resident population lives. The main pillar of the city-state’s housing scheme is the Build-to-Order (BTO) system, which is designed for accessibility and affordability, especially for first-time buyers.
Mr Chee noted that last year, 19,600 flats across 28 projects were built, and for 2026, the figure is the same. However, this year, 4000 BTO flats will have shorter waiting times of less than three years, which the minister said “will cater to households who need a flat urgently, such as young couples looking to settle down and start their families.”
The original goal was to build 50,000 flats from 2025 to 2027, but MND later announced that HDB will launch about 55,000 BTO flats, 10% more.
Mr Chee added that there is a possibility that even more BTO flats will be built.
“If the demand remains strong, HDB has the capacity to further increase the BTO supply, going beyond our 55,000 target from 2025 to 2027,” he said, adding, “I have asked HDB to get ready for this scenario and to activate the plans upon my decision, so this is not just “Build To Order”; this is ‘Build To Minister’s Order’.”
He underlined that the higher BTO supply of late has helped improve Singapore’s housing situation of elevated property prices.
The minister said that there have been fewer applications for BTOs recently, and first-time applicants have found more success in booking flats with a few tries. In 2020, for example, families applying for three-room and larger BTO flats put in applications seven times. Last year, this figure dropped to between 1.1 and 1.9 times.
The HDB resale market has shown some signs of stability and moderation as well, with more would-be homebuyers choosing the BTO market over the resale market.
Mr Chee added that in the last quarter of 2025, HDB flat resale prices remained stable compared to the previous quarter, the first time this has happened since the first quarter of 2020.
“13,500 BTO flats will reach MOP this year, compared to 8,000 last year. This number will increase further to 15,000 next year and 19,500 in 2028,” he added.
Mr Chee’s speech may be found in full here.
“Buying an HDB flat is a big life decision for many Singaporeans. We will continue to ensure that public housing remains accessible and affordable for all,” he said in a video earlier this month.
@cheehongtat In 2026, we will continue to build more homes and build them faster. About 19,600 BTO flats will be launched across three sales exercises, starting this February. More than 4,000 of these will be Shorter Waiting Time flats, so families can move into their new homes within three years after booking the flats. Buying an HDB flat is a big life decision for many Singaporeans. We will continue to ensure that public housing remains accessible and affordable for all. #sghousing #bto #hdb
/TISG
Read also: About 10,000 HDB units set for former Keppel Club golf course site, with first BTO launch in October
