# Greater Support for Young Couples in their Home Ownership Journey

- **Source:** Ministry of National Development
- **Published:** 2024-03-05T07:00:00.000Z
- **Author:** Ministry of National Development
- **Original:** https://www.mnd.gov.sg/newsroom/press-releases/view/greater-support-for-young-couples-in-their-home-ownership-journey
- **Topics:** HDB & Public Housing, Government & Policy, Transactions & Deals

## Featured rationale

Lower upfront costs may help young first-timers enter public housing earlier, while planned supply at Chencharu and Gillman Barracks could broaden future housing choices.

## AI summary

From the June 2024 BTO exercise, eligible young couples’ initial downpayment will fall to 2.5%, alongside a $300 monthly temporary rental voucher from July 2024.

## Original article

Reduced initial downpayment for new flats for eligible young couples;

Temporary rental voucher for PPHS-eligible families;

Development of new housing areas to meet housing demand

At MND’s Committee of Supply debate today, Minister for National Development Mr Desmond Lee announced various initiatives to keep public housing accessible for young couples and families. He also announced the development of new housing areas at Chencharu, in Yishun, in the near term and Gillman Barracks in the longer term, to meet housing demand.

Supporting Young Couples and Families in their Home Ownership Journey

Enhancement to the Staggered Downpayment Scheme for Young Couples Eligible for Deferred Income Assessment

The Government is committed to helping Singaporeans, particularly first-timers, own a home. On top of providing significant market discounts in pricing new flats, we offer generous housing grants to further support first-timer home buyers. For example, eligible first-timer families may receive up to $80,000 of Enhanced CPF Housing Grant (EHG) when they buy a new or resale flat.

To help Singaporeans buy a flat early, young couples who are current or recent full-time students and/or National Servicemen (NSFs)[1], can apply for a new flat first and defer their income assessment for the EHG and an HDB housing loan to just before key collection. By then, they are more likely to be eligible for the EHG[2] and may also qualify for a higher loan amount after working for some time.

These couples can also benefit from the Staggered Downpayment Scheme (SDS), where the initial downpayment payable when they sign the Agreement for Lease (AFL) is halved (to 5% or 10% of the flat price)[3], if they have booked an uncompleted flat. The remaining downpayment is payable at key collection when they take up a housing loan and receive the EHG, if eligible, to pay the balance flat price.

However, some of these couples may still face difficulties paying the reduced initial downpayment, since the EHG (if eligible) is only disbursed closer to the time of key collection and, as such, they would have to pay the initial downpayment using their savings. Recognising this, HDB will provide further support to these couples starting from the June 2024 Build-To-Order (BTO) sales exercise. For couples eligible to defer their income assessment for the EHG and an HDB housing loan, the downpayment payable at the signing of the AFL will be further reduced to 2.5% of the flat price, regardless of the financing option they choose (see Table 1 for the payment schedule). This will help to ease the initial cost that these young couples have to pay when they buy a flat. More details are in Annex A.

Table 1: Enhancement to the Staggered Downpayment Scheme for Couples Eligible for Deferred Income Assessment[4]

Loan Type

Loan Type

Current

Current

Revised

Revised

Downpayment at Agreement for Lease

Downpayment at Agreement for Lease

Key Collection

Key Collection

Downpayment at Agreement for Lease

Downpayment at Agreement for Lease

Key Collection

Key Collection

Not taking housing loan

Not taking housing loan

5%

5%

95%

95%

2.5%

2.5%

97.5%

97.5%

HDB housing loan; LTV limit at 80%

HDB housing loan; LTV limit at 80%

5%

5%

15%*

15%*

17.5%

17.5%

FI housing loan; LTV limit at 75%^

FI housing loan; LTV limit at 75%^

10%

10%

15%

15%

22.5%

22.5%

FI housing loan; LTV limit at 55%^

FI housing loan; LTV limit at 55%^

10%

10%

35%

35%

42.5%

42.5%

Notes:

1. Percentage in table refers to percentage of flat price.

2. LTV refers to Loan-to-Value; FI refers to financial institution regulated by the Monetary Authority of Singapore to provide housing loans.

3. * Payment at key collection is 15% (CPF or cash) for flat applications received on or after 30 Sep 2022; 10% for flat applications received from 16 Dec 2021 to 29 Sep 2022, and 5% for flat applications received before 16 Dec 2021.

4. ^ At least 5%/10% of the flat price or value (whichever is lower) must be paid in cash before the disbursement of the loan for an FI loan with 75%/55% LTV limit.

PPHS (Open Market) Voucher for Families Awaiting the Completion of Their New Flat

The Parenthood Provisional Housing Scheme (PPHS) is a temporary housing option for families waiting for their new flats to be completed. HDB will be providing a temporary rental voucher of $300 per month under the PPHS (Open Market) Voucher scheme, which will run for a one-year period from July 2024. This is to provide greater support for PPHS-eligible families to rent an HDB flat or bedroom in the open market, while we ramp up the supply of PPHS flats to 4,000 units by the second half of 2025[5].

The scheme has been scoped carefully to strike a balance between helping families defray the cost of renting in the open market on the one hand, and mitigating the potential inflationary impact on the rental market on the other. To be eligible for the PPHS Voucher, families must meet the current PPHS criteria[6] and have a rental tenancy registered with HDB at the point of application. Eligible families will receive the voucher on a reimbursement basis, based on the number of months of their tenancy that fall within the stipulated one-year period.

Families renting from immediate family members or close relatives will not be eligible. More details will be shared closer to implementation.

New Housing Areas to Meet Housing Demand

To meet housing demand, HDB plans to launch about 19,600 BTO flats in 2024. A new housing area in Chencharu within Yishun town will be developed to offer more choices for home buyers to live closer to their families staying in the north, facilitating mutual care and support. Another area that we are studying for potential development in the longer term is Gillman Barracks located in Bukit Merah town.

· Chencharu, in Yishun

Around 10,000 homes are being planned in the new housing area at Chencharu, situated near Khatib MRT. At least 80% of these homes will be set aside for public housing. This will provide a sizeable supply of new homes for Singaporeans, including families who wish to live near their parents in the area for mutual care and support. New recreational, community and commercial facilities will be built in Chencharu to bring greater convenience to residents, while adding vibrancy to Yishun town. These will complement existing facilities at Khatib Central and HomeTeam NS Khatib. The first BTO project, comprising about 1,200 units of 2-room Flexi to 5-room flats, will be launched in June this year, with the rest of the projects to be progressively launched in the coming years.

Site map of Chencharu, in Yishun, and the first project to be launched in June 2024

· Gillman Barracks

The Gillman Barracks site is located a short distance from the city centre and adjacent to the future Greater Southern Waterfront live-work-play district. Predominantly zoned “Reserve Site” in the Master Plan 2019, it is currently occupied by various interim uses, such as office, creative lifestyle, arts, and F&B uses, with tenancies that would progressively expire by 2030.

Agencies are studying the possibility of introducing a new residential neighbourhood at this site, comprising a mix of public and private housing options, with public spaces and amenities to support an active community. Building homes in central locations will meet growing demand for housing and cater to Singaporeans’ diverse aspirations and lifestyle needs. The new residential neighbourhood could capitalise on the unique setting of Gillman Barracks, with an identity anchored on the character and charm of the former colonial barrack buildings as well as its proximity to green spaces and recreational opportunities at the Southern Ridges and Labrador Nature Park Network.

Environmental and heritage studies will commence in 2Q 2024 and are estimated to complete around 1H 2026. Findings from these studies will inform the detailed plans for the site and guide agencies in developing the site sensitively. Agencies will engage the relevant stakeholders, including existing tenants at Gillman Barracks. Existing tenants can continue to stay on site till the end of their tenancies. More details will be shared when ready.

Studies will be conducted at the Gillman Barracks site to guide future development plans

Supporting Singaporeans’ Housing Aspirations

MND and HDB are committed to meet the diverse housing needs of Singaporeans, particularly to provide more support for young couples to buy their first home. We continue to adopt a long-term approach in planning for new housing areas to keep up with housing demand, ensuring that public housing remains affordable and accessible for all Singaporeans with different budgets and needs.

Issued By : MND & HDB

Date : 5 March 2024

[1] Both parties must be full-time students or NSFs, and/or have completed full-time studies or National Service (NS) within the last 12 months before the HFE letter application.

[2] To qualify for the EHG, at least one member of the core family nucleus must be in continuous employment for at least 12 months, amongst other conditions.

[3] Generally, flat buyers must pay a downpayment of 10% (for those taking an HDB housing loan or no housing loan) or 20% (for those taking a housing loan from a Financial Institution) of the flat price when they sign the AFL, with the remaining downpayment to be paid at key collection.

[4] The payment schedule will remain the same for all other households who qualify for SDS.

[5] HDB has been steadily increasing the supply of PPHS flats from 800 in 2021 to about 2,000 flats currently. By 2025, HDB will further ramp up PPHS supply to 4,000 units, with most of the new supply ready in 2025.

[6] Households must have booked an uncompleted HDB flat and be of one of the following profiles: (a) married couple (with at least one first-timer), (b) divorced or widowed parent with children, or (c) applicants under the Fiancé/Fiancée scheme (with at least one first-timer). Households will also need to have an income not exceeding $7,000, based on the income stated in their application to buy a flat.

Annex A

## Chinese translation

> Translation model: grok_cli

### 为年轻夫妇置业之路提供更大支持

合资格年轻夫妇购买新组屋的首期付款进一步降低；

为合资格申请亲子临时住屋计划（PPHS）的家庭提供临时租房津贴；

开发新住屋区以满足住房需求

在国家发展部今日的预算委员会（供应）辩论中，国家发展部部长李智陞先生宣布多项措施，以继续让公共住屋对年轻夫妇和家庭保持可负担、可负担性与可及性。他也宣布将在近期于义顺镇的振查鲁（Chencharu）发展新住屋区，并在较长期研究在吉尔曼军营（Gillman Barracks）发展住屋，以满足住房需求。

支持年轻夫妇和家庭的置业之路

优化适用于合资格延期评估收入之年轻夫妇的分期首期付款计划

政府致力于协助新加坡人，尤其是首次置业者拥有住房。除了在新组屋定价上提供显著的市场折扣外，我们还提供优厚的住屋津贴，进一步支持首次置业者。例如，合资格的首次置业家庭在购买新组屋或转售组屋时，最高可获得8万新元的加强版公积金住屋津贴（EHG）。

为协助新加坡人尽早购买组屋，目前或近期为全日制学生及／或国民服役人员（NSF）[1]的年轻夫妇，可先申请新组屋，并将加强版公积金住屋津贴与建屋发展局（HDB）房屋贷款的收入评估延期至领取钥匙前进行。届时，他们较有可能符合EHG资格[2]，并在工作一段时间后可能获得更高的贷款额。

这些夫妇也可受惠于分期首期付款计划（SDS）：若已预订未竣工组屋，在签署租约协议（AFL）时应付的首期付款可减半（为组屋价格的5%或10%）[3]。余下首期付款在领取钥匙时支付，届时可申请房屋贷款，并（如符合资格）领取EHG以支付组屋余款。

然而，部分夫妇在支付已降低的首期付款时仍可能有困难，因为EHG（如符合资格）要到接近领取钥匙时才发放，因此他们须以储蓄支付首期付款。有鉴于此，建屋发展局将从2024年6月预购组屋（BTO）销售活动起，为这些夫妇提供进一步支持。对于合资格将EHG与HDB房屋贷款收入评估延期的夫妇，无论选择何种融资方案，签署AFL时应付的首期付款将进一步降至组屋价格的2.5%（付款时间表见表1）。这将有助减轻这些年轻夫妇购屋时的初期负担。更多详情见附件A。

表1：适用于合资格延期评估收入之夫妇的分期首期付款计划优化[4]

贷款类型

贷款类型

现行

现行

修订后

修订后

签署租约协议时的首期付款

签署租约协议时的首期付款

领取钥匙时

领取钥匙时

签署租约协议时的首期付款

签署租约协议时的首期付款

领取钥匙时

领取钥匙时

不申请房屋贷款

不申请房屋贷款

5%

5%

95%

95%

2.5%

2.5%

97.5%

97.5%

HDB房屋贷款；贷款与估值比率（LTV）上限80%

HDB房屋贷款；贷款与估值比率（LTV）上限80%

5%

5%

15%*

15%*

17.5%

17.5%

金融机构（FI）房屋贷款；LTV上限75%^

金融机构（FI）房屋贷款；LTV上限75%^

10%

10%

15%

15%

22.5%

22.5%

金融机构（FI）房屋贷款；LTV上限55%^

金融机构（FI）房屋贷款；LTV上限55%^

10%

10%

35%

35%

42.5%

42.5%

注释：

1. 表中百分比指组屋价格的百分比。

2. LTV指贷款与估值比率；FI指受新加坡金融管理局监管、可提供房屋贷款的金融机构。

3. * 领取钥匙时的付款为15%（公积金或现金）——适用于2022年9月30日或之后收到的组屋申请；2021年12月16日至2022年9月29日收到的申请为10%；2021年12月16日之前收到的申请为5%。

4. ^ 对于LTV上限为75%/55%的FI贷款，在贷款发放前，必须以现金支付组屋价格或估值（以较低者为准）至少5%/10%。

为等待新组屋竣工家庭提供的PPHS（公开市场）津贴

亲子临时住屋计划（PPHS）是供等待新组屋竣工家庭的临时住屋选项。建屋发展局将在PPHS（公开市场）津贴计划下，提供每月300新元的临时租房津贴，该计划自2024年7月起试行一年。此举旨在为合资格的PPHS家庭提供更大支持，以便他们在公开市场租赁组屋单位或睡房，同时我们会把PPHS组屋供应提升至2025年下半年的4,000个单位[5]。

该计划经过审慎界定，以在协助家庭减轻公开市场租金负担与缓解对租赁市场潜在通胀影响之间取得平衡。要符合PPHS津贴资格，家庭必须符合现行PPHS条件[6]，并在申请时已向HDB登记租赁租约。合资格家庭将以报销方式领取津贴，金额按租约落在规定一年期内的月数计算。

向直系亲属或近亲租房的家庭将不符合资格。更多详情将在临近实施时公布。

开发新住屋区以满足住房需求

为满足住房需求，建屋发展局计划在2024年推出约19,600个预购组屋（BTO）单位。义顺镇内振查鲁的新住屋区将获发展，为希望住得更靠近北部家人的购屋者提供更多选择，便利互相照顾与支持。我们亦在研究较长期可能发展位于红山镇的吉尔曼军营。

· 义顺镇振查鲁

振查鲁新住屋区靠近卡迪地铁站（Khatib MRT），目前规划约10,000个住宅单位。其中至少80%将预留给公共住屋。这将为新加坡人提供可观的新住房供应，包括希望住在父母附近以便互相照顾与支持的家庭。振查鲁将兴建新的休闲、社区与商业设施，为居民带来更大便利，同时为义顺镇增添活力。这些设施将与卡迪中心（Khatib Central）及卡迪民防部队国民服役人员之家（HomeTeam NS Khatib）的现有设施相辅相成。首个预购组屋项目约有1,200个2房式灵活型至5房式单位，将于今年6月推出，其余项目将在未来数年陆续推出。

义顺镇振查鲁区位图，以及将于2024年6月推出的首个项目

· 吉尔曼军营

吉尔曼军营地段距离市中心不远，并毗邻未来的大南部滨水区（Greater Southern Waterfront）宜居宜业宜乐综合区。在《2019年总体规划》中，该地段主要划为“预留地段”，目前由各类临时用途占用，如办公、创意生活、艺术及餐饮等，租约将于2030年前陆续到期。

各机构正在研究是否可在此引入新住宅邻里，包含公共与私人住屋选项的组合，并配备公共空间与配套设施，以支持活跃社区。在中央地段兴建住屋，将满足日益增长的住房需求，并照顾新加坡人多元的志向与生活方式需要。新住宅邻里可利用吉尔曼军营的独特环境，以昔日殖民军营建筑的特色与魅力为认同基础，并受惠于邻近南部山脊（Southern Ridges）与拉布拉多自然公园网络（Labrador Nature Park Network）的绿色空间与休闲机会。

环境与遗产研究将于2024年第二季展开，预计约在2026年上半年完成。研究结果将为该地段的详细规划提供依据，并指导各机构以审慎方式开发该地段。各机构将与相关持份者接触，包括吉尔曼军营的现有租户。现有租户可继续留在现场至租约结束。更多详情将在准备就绪时公布。

将在吉尔曼军营地段开展研究，以指导未来发展计划

支持新加坡人的住屋志向

国家发展部与建屋发展局致力于满足新加坡人多元的住屋需求，尤其为年轻夫妇购买首个住屋提供更多支持。我们继续以长远方式规划新住屋区，以跟上住房需求，确保公共住屋对预算与需求各异的所有新加坡人保持可负担与可及。

发布机构：国家发展部与建屋发展局

日期：2024年3月5日

[1] 双方均须为全日制学生或国民服役人员，及／或在申请HFE信函前的过去12个月内已完成全日制学业或国民服役（NS）。

[2] 要符合EHG资格，核心家庭核心成员中至少一人须连续就业至少12个月，另有其他条件。

[3] 一般而言，组屋买家在签署AFL时须支付组屋价格的10%（申请HDB房屋贷款或不申请房屋贷款者）或20%（向金融机构申请房屋贷款者）作为首期付款，余下首期付款在领取钥匙时支付。

[4] 所有其他符合SDS资格的家庭，付款时间表维持不变。

[5] 建屋发展局一直稳步增加PPHS组屋供应，从2021年的800个增至目前约2,000个单位。到2025年，建屋发展局将进一步把PPHS供应提升至4,000个单位，大部分新供应将在2025年就绪。

[6] 家庭必须已预订未竣工的HDB组屋，并属于以下其中一类：（a）已婚夫妇（至少一方为首次置业者），（b）离婚或丧偶并育有子女的家长，或（c）未婚夫／未婚妻计划下的申请人（至少一方为首次置业者）。家庭收入亦不得超过7,000新元，以购屋申请时申报的收入为准。

附件A