Unmarried Mothers under Age of 35 Who Seek Assistance for Public Housing Application

95 Mr Desmond Choo asked the Minister for National Development (a) how many unmarried mothers under the age of 35 have requested for assistance to apply for public housing in 2022; (b) what percentage of such applicants have been successful in purchasing a BTO or resale flat with the Ministry's assistance; and (c) what are the factors considered by the Ministry when assessing such requests holistically.

Mr Desmond Lee: In 2022, the Housing and Development Board (HDB) received 147 requests from unmarried parents under the age of 35 for assistance to buy an HDB flat. Of these, 75% of the requests to buy a new flat from HDB were approved and 52% of the requests to buy a resale flat were approved.

HDB assesses each request holistically based on the applicant's individual circumstances. Those who are aged 21 and above and can afford to buy a flat, will be allowed to buy up to a 3-room flat in a non-mature estate from HDB or a resale flat. Those who cannot afford to buy a flat may be considered for public rental housing if it is assessed to be in their child's best interests, taking into account input from social workers as necessary.