More elderly residents and childless couples secure interim housing as HDB expands schemes

Date:

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The Housing Development Board (HDB) has provided interim housing assistance to 59 childless couples and 107 elderly households over the past three years, as revealed by Minister for National Development Desmond Lee in response to parliamentary questions raised by Workers’ Party MP for Aljunied GRC Gerald Giam.

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In a written response on 5 February 2025, Mr Lee addressed concerns over the availability of interim housing for those awaiting their HDB Built-To-Order (BTO) flats, including couples without children and elderly residents. He acknowledged that while interim rental housing is limited, expanded measures have improved access for some groups.

The primary option for interim housing remains the Parenthood Provisional Housing Scheme (PPHS), which is designed to support families who may face difficulties renting on the open market. Although the scheme primarily targets married couples with children, eligible elderly households and childless couples can apply.

HDB has expanded the number of PPHS flats from 800 in 2021 to over 2,000 as of early 2025. Mr Lee noted that this increase has led to significant improvements in housing allocations.

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Since June 2023, all first-timer married couples with children have successfully secured a PPHS unit through the ballot. For couples without children, 30% of applicants (370 households) received PPHS flats in 2024, compared to just 10% (90 households) in 2022. HDB plans to further increase the supply to 4,000 units by the end of 2025.

As a temporary solution to bridge the gap, the PPHS (Open Market) Voucher was introduced, enabling families to rent an HDB flat or bedroom on the open market with financial support.

For lower-income households who do not qualify for PPHS flats, HDB provides interim rental housing on a case-by-case basis. Mr Lee explained that this assistance is limited to households facing urgent housing needs and no viable alternatives.

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Since interim rental housing is not publicly open for application, the number of requests is not officially tracked. However, over the past three years, HDB has assisted 59 couples without children and 107 elderly households in this category.

To further reduce waiting times for new homes, HDB has expanded its offering of Shorter Waiting Time (SWT) flats. These units, which have waiting periods of fewer than three years, are a key part of HDB’s efforts to address growing housing demand.

In 2025, HDB is set to launch 19,600 BTO flats, with nearly 20% designated as SWT flats.

Mr Lee emphasised that while HDB continues to enhance its rental schemes and reduce waiting times, the limited availability of subsidised rental housing requires prioritising those most in need.



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