NEW HOUSING AND DEVELOPMENT BOARD FLATS (Concession for existing tenants)

Mr Ang Nam Piau asked the Minister for National Development, in order to encourage "Home Ownership", if the Housing and Development Board will consider giving priority and concessionary rates for the purchase of new flats to Singapore Citizens who have rented the Board's flats for more than 15 years.

The Minister for National Development (Mr Teh Cheang Wan): Mr Speaker, Sir, existing tenants of HDB rental flats can apply to purchase new flats. There are about 15,000 such applicants on the HDB's waiting list. These HDB tenants are already enjoying subsidised public housing unlike other applicants who are still waiting for their flats. There are no grounds to give priority or concessionary prices for the purchase of new flats to existing HDB tenants.

However, HDB tenants can buy their present 3-room flats as sitting tenants if the majority of the tenants in the block want to do so. They will have to pay only $200 as downpayment compared to 20% of the purchase price required for public applicants, and so far 18,574 flats have been sold to sitting tenants.