HDB launches close to 5,000 BTOs; more than half in mature housing estates including Queenstown

• A total of 4,989 new flats will be available in the August Build-To-Order exercise
• The flats will be launched in the neighbourhoods of Kallang-Whampoa, Queenstown, Tampines, Hougang and Jurong East
• More than half will be in mature estates
• Among them is the Queen’s Arc project in Queenstown, which will have eco-friendly features
• The Housing and Development Board is working with contractors and other agencies to reduce construction delays 

SINGAPORE — Close to 5,000 new flats in seven projects across Singapore will be launched in August, with more than half located in mature estates to meet the strong demand for flats in such estates.

The Housing and Development Board (HDB) said on Wednesday (Aug 11) that a total of 4,989 flats in Hougang, Jurong East and mature estates Tampines, Kallang-Whampoa and Queenstown will be available in the upcoming Build-To-Order (BTO) exercise.

Applications for the flats will be open on HDB’s website from Wednesday until next Tuesday.

The flats range from two-room flexi apartments to five-room flats to meet the diverse housing needs of potential homeowners, said HDB in a news release.

It added that the new flats are priced with a generous subsidy, taking into account factors such as location, flat attributes and prevailing market conditions.

For instance, excluding grants, a new three-room BTO flat in Hougang will cost S$199,000 upwards, while the price for a four-room flat in Jurong East starts at S$347,000.

In contrast, the transacted price of a three-room resale flat in Hougang ranges between S$340,000 and S$370,000, while the price of four-room flats in Jurong East is between S$475,000 and S$530,000.

Meanwhile, the new three-room BTOs in Kallang-Whampoa will be sold from S$336,000, while a five-room BTO in Tampines will be sold from S$475,000.
 

HDB added that eligible first-timer families can benefit from the Enhanced CPF Housing Grant (EHG) of up to S$80,000.

With the grant, flat buyers will pay prices starting from S$28,000 for a two-room flexi flat, S$124,000 for a three-room flat, S$264,000 for a four-room flat, and S$347,000 for a five-room flat.

Among the new developments in mature estates is the Queen’s Arc project, which is on the junction of Queen’s Crescent and Queensway Drive.

There will be two blocks with a total of 610 units — 76 of which are for three-room flats, while the remaining 534 are for four-room flats.

Aside from smart solutions to reduce energy usage, Queen’s Arc will feature several eco-friendly elements such as parking spaces to facilitate future provision of electrical vehicle charging stations and features to clean rainwater and beautify landscaping, HDB said.

Prices for Queen’s Arc start from S$382,000 for a three-room flat and more than S$540,000 for a four-room flat.

The housing project has the longest waiting time and is expected to take 67 months, or more than five years, to complete.

The waiting time for the other BTO projects will range from three to 5.5 years, with a median time of just over four years.

The longer construction time is mainly due to more preparation works required for the site, as well as the design of the project. One of the blocks is 39 storeys — taller than most of the other BTO projects.

WORKING TO REDUCE CONSTRUCTION DELAYS

Commenting on the latest BTO launch, National Development Minister Desmond Lee said on Facebook on Wednesday that the construction sector has been hit hard by Covid-19, and that most BTO projects have been delayed beyond their original estimated completion dates.

However, the Government is “committed to support Singaporeans’ aspirations to start families and own their own homes” in the midst of the unprecedented challenges brought about by the pandemic, he said.

HDB is working hard with contractors and other agencies to reduce construction delays and will continue to keep homebuyers updated on the completion date of their new flat through letters as well as through HDB’s website, as construction progresses, he added.

There will be one more BTO launch in November this year when HDB will offer 4,400 BTO flats in towns and estates such as Chua Chu Kang, Hougang, Jurong West, Kallang-Whampoa and Tengah.

In February next year, about 2,000 to 3,000 BTO flats will be offered in Geylang, Tengah and Yishun.