NDR 2023: How HDB classification of mature, non-mature estates came about

SINGAPORE: Since the early 1990s, the Housing and Development Board (HDB) has used a simple framework to guide the public in buying flats: By distinguishing between mature and non-mature estates, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said at the National Day Rally on Sunday (Aug 20).

"This framework is easy to understand, and has worked well for many years," he said.

The estate classification began in 1992 alongside changes to the balloting process to give priority to first-time buyers and applicants who had been unsuccessful in their previous flat applications.

Due to an increase in the number of people who owned a flat but were applying to upgrade, the HDB booking system had to be modified to give first-time applicants priority in new towns, or now known as non-mature estates, that were still under development.

Estates were also classified as mature or non-mature based on the availability of land for development.

Mature estates referred to locations with high demand but limited land space for public housing development. 

BTO flats in these estates would typically be more popular and were sold at a higher price to reflect their prime location and high demand.

As their name suggests, mature estates were established much earlier than their non-mature counterparts, which means that residents would get to enjoy amenities such as shopping malls, schools and parks that have been developed over the years.

There are 15 mature estates in Singapore, including Ang Mo Kio, Bedok, Bukit Timah, Marine Parade, Serangoon and Tampines.

Non-mature estates, on the other hand, referred to locations where there was more land available for public housing development.

Flats in these estates, usually less central and having fewer amenities, were more affordably priced.

Singapore has 12 non-mature estates, such as Bukit Panjang, Punggol, Jurong West, Sengkang, Woodlands and Yishun.

One key difference between mature and non-mature estates is that families balloting for the first time will get an additional chance to ballot for a flat in a non-mature estate if their first two applications (in a non-mature estate) were unsuccessful.

This does not apply to unsuccessful BTO applications in mature estates.

But Mr Lee pointed out in his speech that with the housing landscape evolving, the distinction between mature and non-mature estates started to blur as non-mature estates become better developed.

Once imagined as blocks of flats surrounded by barren land, non-mature estates have since been developed with better amenities and transport infrastructure.

Singapore's first eco-town in Punggol is an example of a non-mature estate that has since been developed with innovative eco-features such as centralised recycling refuse chutes to promote recycling and a rainwater harvesting system for water conservation.

There are also spaces for community and water-based recreation activities at Punggol Waterway. 

With less undeveloped land available for future public housing, more HDB flats will have to be built within or near existing estates and more central areas, said Mr Lee.

These are estates that tend to be more popular among homebuyers due to their central locations, with better transport connectivity and closer proximity to amenities.

This article was originally published in TODAY.