In his speech, Mr Chee also reiterated that the ministry is looking at increasing the BTO income ceiling and lowering the eligibility age for singles to buy HDB flats.
“But to do more for our singles and also for other groups of flat buyers, HDB will need to build more flats to ensure supply is adequate to meet higher demand,” he said.
Workers’ Party chief Pritam Singh had asked if HDB would consider allowing first-timer couples who exceed the income eligibility threshold to have the option of purchasing a BTO flat.
These buyers could face additional restrictions, such as requiring an age cap of either spouse or a longer minimum occupation period, he said.
The current income ceiling to buy an HDB flat is S$14,000 for families. Mr Chee noted that this covers around eight in 10 Singaporean households.
Mr Chee said removing the income ceiling would have trade-offs, as there would be additional competition. He said this was something that the government would need to study carefully.
“In order to ensure that we are able to meet this higher demand, supply is key. And that’s why I hope to have the support of all members of this House that we have to build more and build faster,” he added.
On the Voluntary Early Redevelopment Scheme (VERS), Mr Chee said that the plan is to start with a few sites in the first half of the next decade, before scaling up the programme from the late 2030s.
He added that the government will aim to “flesh out” as much of the VERS policy framework as possible in this term of the government, and will engage Singaporeans to take in feedback before the policy is firmed up.
He added that flat owners can look forward to a second round of upgrading works via the Home Improvement Programme II (HIP II) when their flats reach the 60 to 70-year mark.
HIP II will be more extensive and make use of new technologies like microwave scanning, which helps detect and trace sources of water seepage in more complex cases.
On resale flats, Mr Chee noted that as at mid-February, HDB resale prices for 2026 have shown a slight decline of 0.1 per cent.
HDB flat resale prices rose by 2.9 per cent in 2025, compared with 9.7 per cent in 2024, marking the slowest price growth since 2019.
Mr Chee said this follows the “strong pipeline of BTO flats” and cooling measures rolled out over the last few years.
“We are watching the market closely, and stand ready to adjust our measures, bearing in mind that more flats will reach their MOP (minimum occupation period) in the next few years, thereby increasing the supply of resale flats,” he said.
Over the last few years, the application rates for singles and seniors for two-room flexi flats were higher. The minister announced that the government will increase the two-room flexi supply by almost 50 per cent from 2026 to 2028 to meet this growing demand.
PRIORITY FOR LARGER FAMILIES
In addition, HDB will increase the allocation quota under the Third Child Priority Scheme (TCPS) from the June 2026 BTO exercise, Senior Minister of State for National Development Sun Xueling said in parliament.
Under the scheme, eligible families with three or more children receive priority flat allocation.
Currently, up to 5 per cent of flats offered in BTO and Sale of Balance (SBF) exercises are set aside for eligible first- and second-timer families.
From June, the allocation quota will be increased to up to 10 per cent.
The eligibility criteria will also be expanded to allow families to apply for a flat under the scheme from the time the mother is expecting her third child, Ms Sun said.
HDB and MND said over 2,800 BTO applicants benefited from the scheme from 2020 to 2024.
“Furthermore, to support larger families, we will work towards increasing the supply of bigger flats in the longer term. This is part of our strategy to sustain a robust supply of HDB flats,” Ms Sun said.
On housing support for vulnerable households, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for National Development Syed Harun noted that in 2025, more than 2,000 existing rental households have booked a flat and are awaiting completion.
While most rental households are families, about 40 per cent are singles, he noted.
The authorities have received positive feedback from the Single Room Shared Facilities (SRSF) pilot and the Joint Singles Scheme Operator Run (JSS-OR), he said.
Both typologies will be scaled up in the coming years, and more details will be shared when ready, he said.
