LGBT and other singles to get priority for BTO flats under new Family Care Scheme

Описание: In a joint press release on Wednesday, 6 November 2024, the Ministry of National Development (MND) and the Housing and Development Board (HDB) said that from mid-2025, singles would get priority access when they applied for new Build-To-Order (BTO) flats to live with or near their parents.
Under the new Family Care Scheme (FCS) which would be rolled out in two phases, both married and single children would be allowed to apply for new flats near their parents. Currently, priority access was reserved for married couples and their parents.
The scheme, first announced by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong during his maiden National Day Rally speech in August, aimed to "strengthen intergenerational family support by promoting proximity living between parents and children", said Minister for National Development Desmond Lee at a community dialogue session on 6 November 2024.
MND and HDB said that in view of Singapore’s ageing population, the government understood that more ageing parents may increasingly rely on their children for caregiving and support.
Married couples and their parents could currently apply for a new flat under three priority schemes: the Married Child Priority Scheme (MCPS), Senior Priority Scheme (SPS), and Multi-Generation Priority Scheme (MGPS). The MCPS applied to married children, while the SPS covered seniors who were at least 55 years old and fulfilled the eligibility criteria to apply for a 2-room Flexi flat. Under the MGPS, eligible applicants could apply for two flats in the same BTO project.
With the FCS, the new scheme that would replace the three existing ones, priority access would be offered to all parents and their children (married or single) when they applied for a new flat to live with or near each other. The FCS was to be rolled out progressively from mid-2025 and would consist of two components.
1) FCS (Proximity), to be implemented in mid-2025, would allow parents and their children priority access if they were applying for a new flat to live with or near each other. This would replace the MCPS and SPS.
2) FCS (Joint Balloting), to be introduced in end-2025, would replace the MGPS and allow parents and their children to apply for two units in the same BTO project, where there were 2-room Flexi or 3-room flats.
MND and HDB added that with the implementation of the new flat classification framework in October 2024, eligible first-timer singles could now apply for new 2-room Flexi flats across Standard, Plus and Prime projects in all locations. "This is a significant shift from before, where singles could only apply for new flats in non-mature estates," said MND and HDB. "Singles now have more options to choose from if they wish to buy a new flat to live near their parents, many of whom may currently be residing in older estates that were previously classified as mature estates." More details about the FCS would be revealed closer to its implementation date in mid-2025, said MND and HDB.