SINGAPORE: The Housing and Development Board (HDB) said on Wednesday (Aug 12) it has launched more than 7,800 new flats for sale, including the first batch of units near Singapore’s first car-free town centre in Tengah.
A total of 7,862 flats are available in the August Build-To-Order (BTO) exercise, which includes units held over from the May sales exercise after it was cancelled due to the COVID-19 “circuit breaker” period.
Besides Tengah, the new flats are located in the non-mature towns of Choa Chu Kang and Woodlands, as well as the mature estates of Bishan, Ang Mo Kio, Geylang, Pasir Ris and Tampines.
The flats range from two-room Flexi to five-room units to meet the diverse housing needs of first-timers, second-timer families, the elderly and singles, HDB said in a news release.
READ: Tengah’s Park District to feature Singapore’s first ‘car-free’ town centre, flats to be launched in August
Starting prices for flats in non-mature towns range from S$90,000 for a two-room Flexi unit in Woodlands to S$418,000 for a five-room unit in Tengah, excluding grants.
For mature estates, starting prices range from S$137,000 for a two-room Flexi flat in Pasir Ris to S$571,000 in Ang Mo Kio.
Among the new developments is Parc Residences @ Tengah, which comprises 12 residential blocks designed with unique curved rooflines.
It will be the first public housing development located in the new Park district, located near Tengah Park Avenue and Tengah Drive. A total of 1,044 units – ranging from two-room Flexi flats to five-room flats – are on offer.
Artist impression of Parc Residences @ Tengah, an integrated development with public housing and a neighbourhood centre. (Photo: HDB)
Flats in the development will also have features such as smart lighting in common areas to reduce energy usage and a centralised cooling system. Prices start at S$108,000 for a two-room Flexi flat to up to S$489,000 for a five-room unit, excluding grants.
READ: Farm features to be part of first HDB homes in new Tengah town
Keat Hong Verge, bounded by Keat Hong Link and Choa Chu Kang Grove, will offer flats with shorter waiting times. A total of 571 units in three residential blocks are available, starting from S$99,000 for a two-room Flexi unit to up to S$326,000 for a four-room unit, excluding grants.
Costa Grove in Pasir Ris, bounded by Pasir Ris Drive 3 and Pasir Ris Green, will have 1,070 flats on offer.
These comprise nine residential blocks, two of which will also house rental units. Including another block of rental flats, the development will have a total of 10 blocks.
Prices for flats in Costa Grove start from S$137,000 for a two-room Flexi to up to S$581,000 for a five-room unit, excluding grants.
Residents can choose from 1,070 units of 2-room Flexi, 3-, 4-, and 5-room flats at Costa Grove, housed in 9 residential blocks with varying heights from 9 to 18 storeys. (Map: Housing and Development Board)
HEAVY SUBSIDIES
The new flats are heavily subsidised, taking into considering the location, attributes and prevailing market conditions, said HDB.
“HDB’s prices are considerably lower than the transacted prices of comparable resale flats in the vicinity. In addition, 2-room Flexi flats are priced taking into account the lease chosen,” it added.
Eligible first-time families will also receive up to S$80,000 under the Enhanced CPF Housing Grant (EHG). Under the grant, buyers could pay as little as S$10,000 for a two-room Flexi unit, S$89,000 for a three-room, S$198,000 for a four-room and S$360,000 for a five-room.
First-timer families will be continue to be given priority in flat allocation. Applicants who wish to live close to their parents or married children in the same BTO project can also submit a joint application under the Multi-Generation Priority Scheme.
READ: HDB to build more new flats next year to meet greater demand
Application for the new flats can be made online between Wednesday and Aug 18.
The next BTO launch in November will offer about 5,700 flats in Bishan, Sembawang, Tampines, Tengah and Toa Payoh. Another 3,500 flats in Bukit Batok, Kallang Whampoa, Tengah and Toa Payoh will be launched in February next year.
Up to 17,000 new flats will be launched in 2020 to meet demand, former National Development Minister Lawrence Wong said last year.
