Oral Answer by Ministry of National Development on whether HDB can increase the supply of BTO flats by 10,000 units per year for booking in the next three years to make up for the construction delays due to the pandemic

Jul 26, 2021

Mr Gan Thiam Poh: To ask the Minister for National Development whether HDB can increase the supply of BTO flats by 10,000 units per year for booking in the next three years to make up for the construction delays due to the pandemic since 2020.

Answer: 

The construction industry is one of the sectors hardest-hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. Disruptions from the Circuit Breaker last year, coupled with stringent safe management measures imposed at worksites, and the tightening of border controls for workers from South Asia, and supply chain disruptions impacting availability of material and components have affected private and public sector projects, including HDB’s Build-to-Order (BTO) projects. Many will take longer to complete. 

We recognise that the delays to the completion of BTO flats have caused inconvenience to flat buyers and affected many of their life plans. We seek their patience and understanding. HDB is doing its best to work with contractors and consultants to expedite the construction works as much as possible, while ensuring that the project quality and safety standards are not compromised. 

In spite of the challenges faced, we have continued with our BTO launch plans. HDB is on track to launch about 17,000 BTO flats in 2021, higher than the 14,600 in 2019 and 16,800 flats launched in 2020.  

We will continue to monitor the market situation closely and calibrate the supply of public housing accordingly, to ensure that the flat supply remains responsive to the housing needs of the population. Going forward, we will continue to maintain a healthy and steady supply of BTO flat annually. There are no plans to reduce the number of flats to be launched for 2022, which we will announce when ready