The Government is committed to enabling every working Singaporean to be able to own a home. This includes uplifting the most vulnerable groups. Here’s how the Government is supporting public rental families with their housing needs.

1. By providing guidance and consultation for home ownership

The Home ownership Support Team (HST) will provide greater support for rental tenants to become homeowners. The HST will advise them on their housing budget and options, the grants and schemes available to them, and guide them through their journey to home ownership.

2. By providing financial support for a second subsidised HDB flat

From the May 2019 sales exercise, the Step-Up CPF Housing Grant (SUHG) of $15,000 helps lower-income families currently living in public rental flats to purchase 2-room Flexi or 3-room new or resale flats in non-mature estates. The income ceiling to qualify for the Step-Up CPF Housing Grant is $7,000.

Public rental families with young children may consider applying for the Fresh Start Housing Scheme instead, which offers a grant of up to $35,000. Successful applicants may buy a 2-room Flexi flat on 45- to 65-year leases in a Build-To-Order (BTO) or Sale of Balance Flats (SBF) sales exercise. To help families stay on track in their home ownership journey, they will receive social support through the Fresh Start Support Programme.

The age limit for the youngest child for the family to qualify for Fresh Start is 18, and flexibility will be given to selected families who applied but did not meet some of the criteria.

The income ceiling to qualify for the Fresh Start Housing Scheme is also $7,000.

3. By making improvements to rental blocks and flats

Improvement works will be carried out to some rental blocks built in the 1960s and 1970s. In addition, tenants sharing 1-room rental flats under the Joint Singles Scheme can ask for partitions to be installed to create separate sleeping areas for each tenant.

HDB will continue to gradually redevelop older rental blocks, so that tenants can benefit from newer blocks with better, more updated and integrated designs.

4. By helping tenants to save on rent

To encourage tenants to continue increasing their income and saving up while working towards home ownership, HDB will not increase rents for those who have made a downpayment for their own flats, if they subsequently renew the tenancy on their rental flats.

They will continue to pay the same rent they were charged at the time when they made the downpayment for their new flat.