Govt looking into further prioritising BTO flats for those with urgent needs

How those with more urgent housing needs can be further prioritised in the allocation of new Build-To-Order (BTO) flats is an issue the Government is studying, said National Development Minister Desmond Lee.

- Fatimah Mujibah

They include specific segments within the first-timer group who need a flat more urgently, he added on Sunday at a dialogue with around 70 young working adults on Singaporeans' housing needs.

The classification of towns as mature and non-mature estates is also being reviewed for possible adjustment to keep pace with the times, he added.

Addressing concerns about the availability of affordable public housing amid strong competition and high application rates, Mr Lee said the Housing Board has ramped up the supply of BTO flats in 2022, and is prepared to maintain the pace of launches up to 2025 if high demand continues.

The November BTO sales exercise will see HDB launch a bumper crop of nearly 10,000 flats across 10 projects, Mr Lee said at the dialogue held at the Lifelong Learning Institute. This will be the largest BTO exercise in at least two years.

At the dialogue, the last in a series of six on public housing, Mr Lee said most participants agreed that first-timers should be prioritised, while acknowledging there are varying degrees of urgency in housing needs within this group.