Singapore Housing Board (HDB) is offering flats to single people who are 35 and above. The board has come up with several features to make housing more economical.
However, these flats come up with some features that make them less desirable than resale flats. While BTO flats are cheaper and the owner also gets a fresh 99-year lease, a single person can only apply for a 2 room flat, which is about 45 sqm (484 square feet) in size. Moreover, single people can only apply for houses in non-mature estate.
Also, in spite of the fact that BTO flats come with lower renovation cost and more functional layouts compared to older flats, the 2-room houses will not be giving out to applicants who earn less than $6,000.
A common feature of these new houses for singles and houses for couples is that both are eligible for the Additional Housing Grant (AHG) as well as Special CPF Housing Grant (SHG). The process is also similar- the grant amount is inversely proportional to the owner's income i.e. higher amount is given to a person with lower income.
However, those who want to live closer to the city and want to opt for a bigger and better flat should go for the resale flat option as they don't have an income ceiling or size or location restrictions. Moreover, another advantage of the resale flats is that they can be lent out after fulfilling the 5-year minimum occupancy period (MOP).
The only drawback of the resale flats is that they are way more costly than the BTO flats.
