Speech by Senior Minister of State Sun Xueling at the Debate on the President’s Address

Sep 26, 2025


Introduction

Mr Speaker Sir, I rise in support of the motion. Housing policies are often discussed in this house. It is a topic important to many. Homes are where our children grow up, develop a sense of self and identify, a space to call their own. Homes can be a source of pride and joy for young working adults – something they had worked hard for and something that they continue to build their dreams and aspirations on. For seniors, a home can be a sanctuary giving them peace of mind in their golden years.

In land scarce Singapore, the government takes active steps to ensure there is housing to meet the different needs of our people. But there are also competing uses for land – to generate economic growth, for environment sustainability and sometimes for cultural and historical conservation.

The Ministry of National Development takes its development and stewardship role over land use seriously and undertakes this in partnership with our people.

In June this year, URA released the Draft Master Plan 2025. It was developed through URA’s most extensive public engagement exercise to date with 200,000 people engaged. We laid out our urban planning vision for the next decade.

  • We want to bring jobs closer to homes and strengthen three economic gateways in the north, east, and west.
  • We want to develop exciting and attractive neighbourhoods for both public and private housing, for example in central locations like Berlayar, regional job centres like Woodlands, and sites closer to nature like Kranji.
  • We will also set aside more spaces for recreation with the development of new integrated developments, new parks and park connectors.
  • Singapore will continue to be an exciting and endearing place to work, live and play.

As we develop these plans, we will not lose sight of our fundamental commitment to our people.

  • That the government will continue to provide affordable and accessible housing to our people. This was the founding ethos for the HDB which was established in 1960, 5 years before Singapore’s independence.
  • This continues to be its mission today. 
  • Our home ownership policies give our citizens a stake in our nation, foster a sense of rootedness, and a shared sense of identity.

I will now speak about:

  • How we will continue to meet the housing aspirations of Singaporeans, through affordable and accessible housing;
  • How we will plan major new estates so that new residents can move in with greater convenience and comfort; and
  • How we will rejuvenate our homes and estates to make them safe, liveable and vibrant for residents of all ages.

Meeting the housing aspirations of young Singaporeans

Supply

In the last term of government, the pandemic impacted construction and led to delays in the completion of housing projects. Application rates for BTO flats were high, waiting times were longer, and resale prices increased as more buyers turned to resale flats.

Together with industry partners, the government responded swiftly to the situation. We completed the flats delayed by COVID, ramped up supply of new flats, brought down waiting times, and introduced multiple rounds of cooling measures to moderate the resale market.

After COVID, there continues to be strong broad-based housing demand. Singaporeans want to start their own families, with most young people getting married at about 30 years old and wanting to have their own flats then. There are singles who want to live independently though near family. There are also seniors who want to age-in-place or right-size their housing for retirement needs.

In this term of government, HDB will continue to build more, build faster, and build better. We want to help more Singaporeans meet their housing aspirations. There will be a variety of public housing options in different locations to suit diverse income groups and family needs.

  • We have exceeded our commitment of launching 100,000 new flats from 2021 to 2025. From 2025 to 2027, we will launch 55,000 BTO flats, 10% more than the earlier commitment of 50,000.
  • We will launch at least 4,500 flats with shorter waiting times this year, and over the next two years, we will launch about 4,000 annually, an increase of more than 20% compared to our earlier plans.
  • We will also sustain a steady private housing supply. From 2025 to 2027, we plan to launch more than 25,000 private residential units through the Government Land Sales Programme. New estates will be developed in more central locations such as Newton and Pearl’s Hill.

Policy reviews – income ceiling and singles

As we build more, build faster and build better, there will be greater capacity to meet the aspirations of more Singaporeans. Mr Henry Kwek spoke for some of these groups, like young Singaporeans doing well at work and earning more but are afraid that they will bust the HDB income ceiling and end up not being eligible for an HDB flat.

The current BTO income ceiling is $14,000. This was last revised in 2019.

  • We recognize that incomes have gone up over the years.
  • We will therefore review the income ceiling to keep pace with economic trends and ensure that the majority of Singaporean households remain eligible for HDB flats.

Another group of Singaporeans who desire to own their HDB flat are singles, who can only apply for a BTO flat after reaching the age of 35.

  • In recent years, we have made significant moves to enhance singles’ access to HDB flats. These include expanding access to 2-room flexi BTO flats islandwide, increasing the housing grants for singles, and giving priority to singles when they apply to live with or near their parents for mutual care and support.
  • We understand there is still unmet demand from some singles who wish to apply for a BTO flat before reaching the age of 35.

To make further policy moves, we need policy space and a higher supply of BTO flats.

We are continuing with a robust supply of public housing and when the right conditions are in place, we will be able to raise the income eligibility threshold for BTO flat buyers and lower the eligibility age for singles.

Affordability

Besides improving accessibility, we will also ensure that HDB flats remain affordable for Singaporeans.

BTO

The Government will continue to price BTO flats so that they are affordable for buyers with different income levels. This includes first-time buyers who may also be eligible for additional housing grants.

Unlike other countries where public housing is targeted at the lower-income, almost 80% of Singapore residents stay in HDB flats. We must therefore provide a range of BTO flats at different locations and price levels to cater to buyers with different incomes and aspirations.

Let me share two examples, using the recent July BTO exercise.

Take a young couple earning around $5,000 monthly, adding up to our median household income of $10,000.

  • The average price for a Standard 4-room flat in the July exercise was around $460,000. With a 25-year HDB loan, the couple’s mortgage servicing ratio would be 16%, meaning their monthly loan instalments would be fully covered by their CPF contributions. No need to pay cash.
  • If they opted for a 4-room flat in Prime areas in this particular July exercise, given the additional subsidies for Prime flats, the couple would still be able to afford such flats with up to $350 payable in cash per month. Their mortgage servicing ratio would increase to 27% but this is still below international benchmarks of 30 to 35% for affordable housing.
  • To add, as the couple only starts paying their loan when the flat is completed, their incomes will likely have increased in those 3 or 4 years when they are waiting for their flat, so their actual mortgage servicing ratio and monthly cash outlay would be even lower.

Now, let’s consider another couple with a lower combined income of $6,000, which places them in the lower third of households by income.

  • In the same July BTO exercise, 3-room flats were going from $267,000, up to $389,000.
  • This couple would be able to afford any 3-room flat only using CPF, without any cash outlay. That gives them some buffer to cover their daily expenses and build up their finances.
  • In fact, because of the additional grants they receive, this couple would also be able to afford the average Standard 4-room flat in this exercise without any cash outlay.

I have taken the July launch as an example as this is the nearest launch to date. The exact prices and locations will vary across launches, but our commitment is to ensure a range of options to meet diverse budgets and diverse needs.

  • We will also ensure that Standard flats continue to form a significant proportion of our annual supply, to provide sufficient options for buyers with tighter budgets.
  • And across flat types, BTOs will be priced well below comparable resale flats. On top of that, we provide further means-tested grants. Because of this, 9 in 10 first-time home buyers can pay their loan using their CPF, with little or no cash outlay.  This is a good gauge of their lived experience of affordability, as this captures how they can manage their mortgage and daily living expenses, relative to their disposable income.

Resale

I will now touch on the resale market. As we all know, resale prices are agreed between buyers and sellers, influenced by supply and demand. Behind every resale flat transaction, there is a willing buyer and a willing seller. Buyers pay a higher price compared to BTO flats, but get the resale flat immediately, and can choose their preferred flat attributes like location and size.

There will be resale flats with attractive attributes that allow them to command higher prices, such as being in prime locations, on a high floor or facing a good view, near amenities and transport nodes.

But there are also resale flats available at lower prices, in many locations.

  • A 4-room resale flat with at least 70 years remaining on the lease can go for less than $700,000 in locations like Tampines and Punggol, less than $600,000 in Sembawang and Yishun, and less than $550,000 in Jurong West and Woodlands.
  • First-time buyers pay even less because they qualify for grants of up to $230,000.

The resale market is cyclical. Before COVID, resale prices fell for six consecutive years. When prices rose in the COVID years, we had to implement four rounds of cooling measures, such as reducing the Loan-to-Value limit for HDB housing loans, and the wait-out periods for private property owners wishing to purchase HDB flats.

We are now seeing moderation in resale price growth. The quarter-on-quarter Resale Price Index (RPI) growth for last quarter, at 0.9%, is the lowest since 2Q 2020.

There are signs to point towards continued moderation in resale prices.

  • More BTO flats will reach their MOP from 2026 onwards. The number of BTO flats reaching MOP will increase from 8,000 flats this year, to 13,500 in 2026, 15,000 in 2027, and 19,500 in 2028. The increase in the supply of resale flats will help to moderate resale prices.
  • At the same time, the ramp-up in BTO supply that I spoke about earlier will also help to reduce demand in the resale market, as more buyers turn to BTO flats.
  • Together, these trends of increased supply and reduced demand will help support a more balanced and sustainable resale market.

To sum up this section of my speech, we will keep public housing affordable and accessible for buyers with diverse needs and budgets.  The robust supply of public housing will enable us to expand access to more groups.

Resident-centric planning – BTO Coordination Committee

Ramping up housing supply also means that we will be developing new areas such as Tengah in the West, and Kranji in the North.

These areas present opportunities to design thoughtful and beautiful towns. We did this with “Punggol 21” since the 1990s, and we are doing this again with Tengah – our first large-scale smart and sustainable town.

At the same time, we hear feedback from residents that amenities such as cooked food options and childcare centres were not available when they first moved in. Having been in Punggol for the past decade, I can understand how new residents feel.

To review how we can be more resident-centric in our planning for such large-scale BTO estates, we set up the inter-agency BTO Coordination Committee last year, which I now chair.

  • The committee has studied the experience of residents in new large-scale BTO estates such as Punggol and Tengah
  • I will share more in the months to come, but today, I would like to give you a broad overview of the improvements that we are looking into, to prepare for other large-scale BTO projects we are building.

The inter-agency committee is looking into a wide variety of issues such as transport accessibility, construction disamenities, and also mobile signal strength. In the interest of time, I will highlight three areas that HDB is working on – number 1, sheltered linkways, number 2, childcare, number 3, food options.

  • First, sheltered linkways. Residents desire shelter to connect them on their commute and journeys around the neighbourhood. For new estates, from the onset, we will see how we can connect our residents to more bus stops and shop clusters. This can potentially be implemented at the BTO construction stage especially if there are cost savings.
  • Next, on childcare. For our young parents, it is crucial to minimise the gap between the first residents moving in and the commencement of childcare services. We are refining our planning approach so that the childcare centres are built earlier in the development of the estate, and handed over to operators in a smoother and faster manner.
  • Finally, when residents move into a new area, more often than not, food is the first thing that everyone looks out for. However, we know through experience that operators are hesitant to open their shops or stalls when footfall may be low in the initial period. Currently, we already provide a rent-free period to tide operators through this period. We are studying how to enhance such measures while studying alternatives for residents. We will work with the food and retail industry to see how residents can be better served during the move-in period and the town’s early years.

At NDR this year, Prime Minister had shared our vision for the new BTO estates in places like Kranji, Sembawang, and Woodlands. They are to be well-connected to job centres in the northern region. This is an opportunity to apply this resident-centric planning approach, and build a new generation of heartlands.

Across government agencies, we will plan and coordinate much more closely so that new residents enjoy greater convenience from the time they move in. We will continue to gather feedback from residents and community leaders, and adopt a resident-centric approach in planning, development, and execution.  

Rejuvenating our homes and estates for all ages

Our commitment is not just to new homes. We are equally focused on rejuvenating our mature heartlands where many Singaporeans have lived for decades.

  • We often hear residents asking what will happen to their flats and estates as the infrastructure, and they themselves, get older.
  • I assure residents that we will continue to work with you and your Town Councils to keep your homes and neighbourhoods safe, liveable, and well-maintained.

Upgrading flats

Many residents of flats aged around 30 years have already benefited from programmes such as the Home Improvement Programme (HIP), covering essentials like toilets, doors, and spalling concrete.

  • As flats age further, HIP II will offer a second round of upgrading when flats reach 60 years and above. Works will be more comprehensive, using updated technology.
  • We will announce more details about HIP II next year, but I will share one example today. As buildings age, the problem of water seepage becomes more common and this damages concrete. HDB is testing a scanning technology which can see beyond the surface of the concrete, trace the root cause, and make more timely repairs.
  • I have seen the use of this technology and how it can help to resolve more complex water seepage cases. HDB is currently exploring how to scale up its use in a cost-effective manner. 

Rejuvenating estates

Beyond individual flats, we will continue to refresh the whole estate, through programmes such as Remaking Our Heartlands and the Neighbourhood Renewal Programme.

  • For example, under Remaking Our Heartlands in Choa Chu Kang, the Teck Whye and Keat Hong Shopping Centres are getting a fresh revamp, so that residents don’t have to travel into town, but can enjoy themselves at the nearby malls. Outside the town centres, there will be new pocket parks, playgrounds, and linkways, down to simple improvements to the lighting and seating.
  • Residents of private housing estates, including seniors, will not be left out. We are extending these upgrading efforts to selected private housing estates, under the Estate Upgrading Programme.

Mr Speaker Sir, may I be allowed to continue in Mandarin please?

亲乐龄的设施

随着社会老龄化，我们必须打造亲乐龄的组屋和社区，帮助年长者居家养老，保持活跃。  我们相信，年长者过得开心、健康、活跃，整个社会都会随之受益。

  • 政府为年长者提供乐龄易计划，安装亲乐龄的设备，让年长者在屋内安心活动。这包括扶手、防滑地砖、淋浴椅和加宽的浴室入口。
  • 在邻里层面，我们推出了乐龄翻新计划，为组屋区增设亲乐龄的无障碍坡道、康疗花园和健身角落等设施。

退休人士的住房选择

我刚提到的几点，将帮助想要居家养老的年长者，在熟悉的环境中安享晚年。不过，也有年长者希望把现有的组屋套现，买一间适合退休生活的较小的组屋。我们会确保他们有充分的选择。

  • 两房式灵活单位仍是年长者的热门选择，他们希望在晚年拥有一间更小型、更容易打理的住家。我们将继续在每个预购组屋销售活动中推出两房式灵活单位，并将优先分配大多数的单位给年长者。
  • 我们也将推出更多社区关爱组屋，提供给希望独立生活，并同时需要护理服务的年长者。社区关爱组屋结合了亲乐龄设计，年长者护理服务，以及社交活动空间。由于年长者对于这类型组屋的反应相当积极，我们将在更多地点推出社区关爱组屋。
  • 总理最近宣布了乐龄社区这个新概念。我们与卫生部将在日后公布更多详情。

我想请年长的国人放心 —— 无论您选择住在目前的房子，或者是搬到一个更适合退休生活的小房，或是选择有护理服务的组屋，我们都会提供安全、便利的住房选择。我们将不断努力，把新加坡打造成一个老少皆宜的的温暖家园。

Conclusion

Mr Speaker Sir, during this debate we have seen many MPs speak passionately about issues concerning national development – their estates, residents, our social fabric, and the environment.

I sincerely thank our MPs for raising concerns and proposals on behalf of your residents.  We hear you, and we will continue to engage you and work with you to further improve our policies and schemes.

To our residents,

  • We hear your hopes and concerns, whether you are a young couple planning to start a family, a homeowner wondering what’s next for your estate, or a senior thinking about retirement.
  • We will build more homes across the island, with a range of housing options to cater to different needs and budgets.
  • We will plan for infrastructure and amenities in new estates, so that residents can move in with greater comfort and convenience.
  • We will rejuvenate mature homes and estates, keeping them safe, liveable, and vibrant.

Over six decades, we have moved from the urgent task of housing a young nation, to a nation of home owners proud of our quality homes, well-designed towns, and strong communities.

  • We will carry this spirit and legacy, meet the needs of today, and fulfil our aspirations for the future.
  • Together, let’s build a Singapore that is home for all, for today and for generations to come. Thank you.