SERS and VERS: What’s the difference?

Both the Selective En bloc Redevelopment Scheme (SERS) and Voluntary Early Redevelopment Scheme (VERS) are part of the Government’s efforts to renew our older housing estates. Under both schemes, the Government takes back flats before the end of the lease in order to revitalise estates with new developments to meet the needs of the future generations.

Your SERS journey starts when your precinct is chosen for redevelopment via compulsory acquisition. SERS is a highly selective scheme limited to precincts with high redevelopment potential i.e. precincts where the land can be better utilised. To date, most of the sites with high redevelopment potential have already been selected for SERS and we do not expect many more sites to be eligible. SERS residents are provided the opportunity to select a new subsidised home at a designated replacement site, together with their current neighbours.

As our HDB towns get older, we will need to stage redevelopment plans in older parts of towns, to ensure continuity of services and amenities while minimising disamenities to residents in newer parts of towns. This is where VERS comes in! It is a complex and long-term undertaking where we need to cater to the housing needs of both current and future generations. We are reviewing VERS to facilitate the orderly redevelopment and rejuvenation of older HDB towns and estates. Unlike SERS, VERS is a voluntary scheme that will be offered to selected precincts, with flats about 70 years old.

Confused? Here’s a summary of the differences between SERS and VERS.