Question No: 241 

Question by: Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim 

To ask the Minister for National Development whether HDB will consider waiving non-selection counts when the final price of a BTO unit exceeds the indicative price range given for a project. 

Answer:  

HDB flat applicants who are invited to book a flat, but choose not to do so, will incur a non-selection count (NSC). First-Timer families with an NSC will be considered Second-Timers for a year when balloting for a BTO flat, while Second-Timer families, First-Timer singles and seniors who incur an NSC will have to wait one year before they can apply for a flat again. This ensures more efficient flat allocation, so that those with urgent housing needs can secure their flats more quickly. 

HDB provides indicative flat price ranges at every Build-To-Order (BTO) sales exercise to allow prospective applicants to make informed decisions on their flat applications. To date, the prices of all BTO flats have been within the indicative flat price ranges provided.  

HDB does exercise flexibility in waiving the NSC in some cases. For instance, HDB recognises that applicants invited to book at the tail end of the flat booking exercise may face limited choices, and will waive the NSC for applicants who have 10 or fewer flats to choose from in a BTO sales exercise, and 5 or fewer flats to choose from in an SBF sales exercise. HDB will also assess appeals for waiver of the NSC on a case-by-case basis, particularly where applicants face extenuating circumstances that affect their ability to proceed with the flat purchase.