Data on Flat Types and Locations for Recent Moderation in HDB Resale Prices

18 Mr Victor Lye asked the Minister for National Development (a) whether the recent moderation in HDB resale prices is broad-based across flat types and towns, or concentrated in selected segments; and (b) what additional measures, if any, is the Ministry considering to assist first-time buyers who are still unable to secure affordable housing near their parents or workplaces.

The Minister for National Development (Mr Chee Hong Tat): Mr Speaker, in the first quarter of 2026, Housing and Development Board (HDB) resale prices declined by 0.1%, following five consecutive quarters of price growth moderation. The moderation is broad-based across flat types and towns.

HDB has implemented several key measures in recent years to support first-time buyers to stay near their parents for mutual care and support.

First, we have increased the supply of Plus and Prime flats, which come with additional subsidies.

Second, we introduced the Family Care Scheme in 2025 to strengthen inter-generational family support.

Third, we have significantly enhanced housing grants for both new and resale flats. Eligible first-timer families can benefit from grants of up to $120,000 to buy new flats, and $230,000 to buy resale flats. Those purchasing a resale flat can tap on the Proximity Housing Grant of up to $30,000.

Mr Speaker: Mr Victor Lye.

Mr Victor Lye (Ang Mo Kio): Thank you, Speaker. I thank the Minister for the response. I am glad to hear that it is across-the-board in terms of the moderation, though it is just one datapoint. In responding to many residents who, as the Minister said, would like to live with their parents, I think the Government has provided a lot of support and incentives.

However, would it be possible to have more granular data so that children or parents wanting to stay in specific areas can have better guidance as to whether to go for the resale route or the Build-To-Order (BTO) route? As we know, the BTO route is not commonly available throughout Singapore?

Further to that, another question is if we have studied the impact of the ageing population, because we have come across more residents who want to right size and whether that, if not now, in future, could contribute to a greater supply, perhaps in the mature estates even, leading to impacts on resale prices and therefore, guidance to our younger families in choosing where to live?

Mr Chee Hong Tat: Mr Speaker, for data, this is something which HDB publishes. For a buyer, you can go in and take a look at the application rates for the different projects in different parts of Singapore. And of course, some projects will have higher application rates than others because they are more popular. Or for example, in certain areas where we have not been building BTO flats for a while and when there is a BTO project being launched, it is popular and therefore, the application rate will be higher.

But if you look at the latest BTO application in February this year, we saw an improvement in the application rates for first-time families for 3-room and larger flats. In some projects, the application rate for first-time families was actually below one, which means, subject to the Ethnic Integration Policy constraints, virtually everybody will be able to get a BTO flat if you are a first-timer family.

We will continue to build HDB BTO flats to ensure a robust supply because we understand the demand is strong and we want to be able to meet the housing aspirations of Singaporeans.

The same applies to the seniors who want to right-size. Many of them would be looking, for example, at buying a 2-room Flexi flat. And for this category, the people who are singles are also applying for 2-room Flexi flats. That is why I shared at the Committee of Supply earlier this year that we will increase the supply of 2-room Flexi flats by about 50% from 2026 to 2028.