Remaining buyers of pandemic-delayed BTO flats to receive keys by end-March

The home owners of the last Build-To-Order (BTO) projects delayed by the pandemic will collect their keys by end-March, turning the page on the Housing Board's multi-year effort to complete and deliver these units to buyers.

- Ng Keng Gene

On March 8, the Housing Board said that all 1,651 flat buyers of the final two pandemic-delayed BTO projects – Punggol Point Cove (Phase 2) and Kempas Residences – have appointments to collect their keys after the projects were completed in January. This brings an end to a five-year period when HDB had projects behind schedule.

In total, 72,101 households over 92 housing projects were affected by Covid-19 disruptions such as lockdowns, safe distancing measures and supply chain interruptions.

Of the affected projects, 27 were delayed by between one and six months after their original probable completion dates, while another 62 projects were delayed by between seven and 12 months.

One project, Keat Hong Verge, was completed on schedule in March 2023.

Two projects – Waterway Sunrise II and Anchorvale Village – were completed beyond their delivery possession date, which is the legal contractual date by which HDB must hand over the flat to buyers.

These projects also marked the first time HDB has not been able to deliver projects by their legal contractual date.

On March 8, HDB said that a total of $5.5 million in compensation was paid to more than 1,000 flat buyers across the two projects, in accordance with the Covid-19 (Temporary Measures) Act.

HDB said it compensated flat buyers the maximum reimbursement sum that they were eligible for without requiring them to submit any claims or proof of expense.