Debate on President’s speech: Sun Xueling on keeping housing affordable, accessible, liveable and vibrant

The government will be able to raise the income eligibility threshold for Build-to-Order (BTO) flat buyers and lower the eligibility age for singles “when the right conditions are in place”, said Senior Minister of State for National Development Sun Xueling. There will be higher BTO supply and greater capacity to make policy moves “as we build more, build faster and build better”, she said. HDB will exceed its commitments to launch new flats and flats with shorter waiting times over the next two years, as well as sustain a steady private housing supply. BTO flats will continue to be priced “well below” comparable resale flats and Standard flats will continue to form a significant proportion of annual supply. Meanwhile, resale prices are determined by supply and demand, she said, but units are available at lower prices in many locations. She also gave updates on an inter-agency committee she leads to look into the problems residents face when they move into new towns. These include transport accessibility, construction disamenities and mobile signal strength. Ms Sun said the committee has studied big new estates such as Punggol and Tengah and will share more in the coming months. In the meantime, HDB has already started to work on improving sheltered linkways, childcare and food options in new neighbourhoods. As for rejuvenating older estates, she said the Home Improvement Programme II will offer a second round of upgrading when flats reach 60 years of age, with more comprehensive works using updated technology.