Residents Affected by Delays in HDB's BTO Projects Caused by COVID-19 Pandemic and Interim Housing Options Offered
Ministry of National DevelopmentSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns MP Yip Hon Weng’s inquiry regarding the scale of pandemic-related BTO project delays and the support measures provided to affected households. Minister for National Development Desmond Lee stated that approximately 22,000 households from the remaining delayed projects will progressively receive their keys by the first quarter of 2025. Affected buyers can access interim housing through the Parenthood Provisional Housing Scheme, or Interim Rental Housing for low-income cases without other options. For delays exceeding the Delivery Possession Date, monetary reimbursement is provided under Part 8C of the COVID-19 (Temporary Measures) Act. Minister for National Development Desmond Lee noted that the Housing and Development Board automatically offers the maximum reimbursement sum to eligible buyers to minimize inconvenience.
Transcript
53 Mr Yip Hon Weng asked the Minister for National Development for the 28% of HDB's BTO projects still under construction due to delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic (a) how many residents are affected by these delays; (b) what interim housing options has HDB offered to the affected residents; and (c) how does the reimbursement sum offered to the affected residents help to cover the inconveniences caused by the delay.
Mr Desmond Lee: The Housing and Development Board (HDB) has completed 72% of Build-To-Order (BTO) projects that were delayed due to disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. About 49,000 out of the 71,000 households who were affected by these delays have been invited to collect or have collected their keys.
Twenty-eight percent of the BTO projects delayed by the pandemic are still under construction. For these projects, around 22,000 affected households will progressively receive their keys by the first quarter of 2025 or earlier.
We understand that affected residents are anxious and concerned about these delays. HDB is doing its best to catch up on these delays while ensuring safety and quality. Eligible flat buyers who need interim housing can apply for a Parenthood Provisional Housing Scheme (PPHS) flat. For low-income households with no family support and no other housing option, HDB will also consider offering Interim Rental Housing (IRH) on a case-by-case basis. Some flats that are used for IRH or PPHS could otherwise have been used for the Public Rental Scheme. Even as we assist flat buyers who need temporary housing due to BTO completion delays, we must also balance the use of flats across different rental schemes to meet the needs of different groups, prioritising the most needy.
For the minority of households who had their key collection delayed beyond the Delivery Possession Dates (DPD), HDB offers monetary reimbursement under Part 8C of the COVID-19 (Temporary Measures) Act (COTMA). Flat buyers whose flats are delayed beyond their DPD will be able to seek reimbursement for qualifying costs incurred for delays beyond the DPD. To further minimise the inconvenience, HDB has offered to pay these affected flat buyers the maximum reimbursement sum that they would be eligible for, without them having to submit any claims or proof of the expenses incurred.
HDB will continue to work closely with its contractors to catch up on BTO delays and deliver flats to Singaporeans in a timely manner, without compromising safety and quality.