Singapore moots increasing public housing supply as it looks to make it more affordable

Minister for National Development Lawrence Wong said new measures would help more Singaporeans buy their first homes

The measures include a new enhanced housing grant potentially worth tens of thousands of Singaporean dollars for eligible buyers

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High-rise blocks of flats in Singapore. Photo: AFP

Published: 9:58pm, 10 Sep 2019Updated: 3:49am, 25 Nov 2019

Singapore may increase its supply of public housing next year as the city state introduced measures on Tuesday aimed at making such homes more affordable.

Minister for National Development Lawrence Wong said the measures would help more Singaporeans from lower- to upper-middle income households buy their first homes.

The Housing and Development Board, which is the body responsible for public housing, would probably have to increase supply in 2020 to meet the additional demand expected to stem from the changes, according to a joint statement from the board and the ministry.

In Singapore, most people live in so-called HDB flats as opposed to private apartments. There is a robust pipeline of the latter, with the government in June announcing it would reduce the supply of private housing in the second half.

Singapore’s National Development Minister Lawrence Wong pictured with Hong Kong’s Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor in May. Photo: Handout

The new measures, which do not apply to the private market, will come into effect on September 11.

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