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Application for Fresh Start Housing Scheme opens

SINGAPORE — Applications have opened for the Government’s Fresh Start Housing Scheme, which aims to help vulnerable families own a two-room public housing unit and which provides financial aid and social support.

A mock-up of the Built-To-Order flats at Bidadari estate's Woodleigh Glen. Photo: Wee Teck Hian

A mock-up of the Built-To-Order flats at Bidadari estate's Woodleigh Glen. Photo: Wee Teck Hian

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SINGAPORE — Applications have opened for the Government’s Fresh Start Housing Scheme, which aims to help vulnerable families own a two-room public housing unit and which provides financial aid and social support.

Applicants must first sign up to be placed on the scheme and they can find out the outcome of their submissions within six to eight weeks.

If successful, they can then apply to the Housing and Development Board (HDB) for a unit under its Sale of Balance Flats or Build-To-Order sales exercise, which will involve balloting.

To guide and improve the implementation of the scheme, a Fresh Start Advisory Committee has been appointed to support outreach to families in public rental homes who may be eligible for the scheme. Senior Minister of State Mohamad Maliki Osman is chairing the committee, the Ministry of National Development and HDB said in their joint announcement on Thursday (Dec 1).

In his blog, National Development Minister Lawrence Wong said: “Some second-timer (families in public rental homes) are ready and hoping to own a home again — they are in stable employment, manage their finances well, and have a stable home environment.

However, they may find it challenging to buy a flat, or have worries about making a substantial financial commitment. Fresh Start will help to bridge the gap for these families by allowing them to buy a more affordable two-room flat on a shorter lease (45 to 65 years), and giving them another HDB concessionary rate loan and a new Fresh Start Housing Grant of up to S$35,000.”

Second-timers are households who have previously received a housing subsidy. Mr Wong added that the Ministry of Social and Family Development and HDB would assess the readiness of applicants and “check in” on those already on the scheme.

The initiative is targeted at a specific group for now, but the Government would “keep the scheme open” and those who do not qualify the first time can try again when they are more ready, he said.

To be eligible for the scheme and remain on it, families have to fulfil a number of conditions.

Among them, they must have at least one Singaporean child below the age of 16 and at least one of the applicants must be in stable employment in the 12 months before the application.

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