Louis delivered his budget cut on Housing for Low-income Families at Committee of Supply 2019.

Louis: Madam, keeping our HDB flats affordable is important to maintain the cost of living for Singaporeans. While home ownership rates have been traditionally high compared to other countries, there are still some Singaporeans who are unable to afford flats and count on HDB to provide rental housing.

Most Singaporeans who need this rental housing have no other immediate alternatives and, as such, need the housing urgently. Some may be able to rent rooms in the open market in the short term but, with high rental rates, this further cripples their already dire financial situation.

What are the Ministry's plans to ramp up the supply of HDB rental flats and, therefore, reducing the waiting time for low-income families who are in urgent need of these flats? Also, with the launch of the Fresh Start Housing Scheme, how many families are expected to benefit from this scheme and be able finally to own their own flats finally?

Dr Koh Poh Koon (The Minister of State for National Development): A few Members asked about our supply of rental flats. We have ramped up the rental supply from 42,000 in 2007 to 53,500 now, and it will go up to 60,000 in 2017. As a result, waiting time for a rental flat has reduced significantly from 21 months in 2008 to four months today. For those in urgent need of rental housing or any housing, HDB may give them priority allocation for a rental flat, or provide them with Interim Rental Housing while they await their rental flat.

The increase in rental flats is not only about the increase in quantity. We build rental flats in more locations with a better geographical spread and we integrate them within estates by locating them together with homeownership flats.

I am happy to announce that we will extend the TPS to second-timer rental families, including the Fresh Start beneficiaries that Minister Wong announced earlier. These second-timer families in rental flats have the same housing need as first-timer rental families. But as second timers, they have a lower allocation quota when it comes to balloting for new HDB flats. Therefore, extending TPS to these second timer families will increase their chances of selecting a flat, and moving on to homeownership. So from HDB's next sales exercise, second-timer rental families can also benefit from the 10% quota of flats set aside under the TPS. Like their first-timer counterparts, they will be eligible if they have stayed for at least two years in a rental flat, and are applying for a 2- or 3-room homeownership flat.

Taken together, the Fresh Start Housing Scheme and the extension of TPS to second-timer rental families are significant measures to help our rental families achieve homeownership again, and to build a more inclusive society.

Source: Hansard (Parliament of Singapore)

Louis asked the Minister for National Development whether the Ministry will consider raising the current income cap of $1,500 for public rental housing in view of the rising cost of living and the higher income caps of Government subsidies such as the child care/infant care subsidy and ComCare Short-to-Medium Term Assistance.

Mr Lawrence Wong (MND): The income ceilings set for various Government subsidies serve different purposes, and differ based on the nature of help provided and the target population. HDB reviews the income ceiling and other eligibility criteria for HDB rental flats from time to time. This enables us to prioritise the rental flat supply to benefit low-income families who are without family support and other housing options.

In practice, HDB has exercised flexibility to enable some families with higher income get a public rental flat, if their circumstances are deserving of such assistance.

Source: Hansard (Parliament of Singapore)

Louis asked the Minister for National Development for each year of the past three years (a) how many applicants above the income cap for rental flats have applied for rental flats; and (b) how many of such applications have been approved.

Mr Lawrence Wong (MND): HDB exercises flexibility for deserving households who do not meet the eligibility criteria, such as the income ceiling, to rent a flat from HDB on a case-by-case basis.

Between 2014 and 2016, about 1,900 households requested for a waiver of the income ceiling criterion, of which 273 applications were approved. The other applicants were assessed to be able to afford other housing options, or had family support.

Source: Hansard (Parliament of Singapore)

Louis asked the Minister for National Development (a) whether the Ministry will review the eligibility criteria for rental housing so that the income criterion is either a total household income or a per capita income; and (b) whether the per capita can be set at $650, similar to the ComCare Short-to-Medium Term Assistance criterion.

Mr Lawrence Wong (MND): Madam, as we have stated before, HDB reviews the eligibility criteria for HDB rental flats from time to time and will continue to do so, taking this suggestion and others into account. Whether the criteria are based on household income or per capita income, there will always be a few deserving cases that do not meet the cut-off. That is why HDB already exercises flexibility so that families who do not meet the eligibility criteria can still get a rental flat, if they have no other housing options or family support. This includes bigger families even if their household income exceeds the income ceiling.

Louis: I thank the Minister for the reply. Can I just check if the HDB officers actively or proactively offer this information that we do allow waivers on a case-by-case basis and assist the applicants in applying for the waivers?

Secondly, I do understand there is a shortage of rental flats. So, I would like to ask MND to consider pegging future supply to projections based on demand of those on the ComCare Short-to-Medium Term Assistance scheme, because they are the people who usually reside in the rental flats. And I think while there is shortage now, in future, we should project based on those numbers. 

Mr Lawrence Wong: Madam, the fact that there is an appeals channel and the fact that HDB already exercises flexibility for cases that do not meet the income criterion, this is public information, and we do already receive many appeals on that basis. So, anyone who has an application for a rental flat and their application is rejected on an income basis can freely put up an appeal, either through their Member of Parliament or to HDB directly.

On the supply of rental flats, that is, indeed, being stepped up and there are more rental flats coming into the market.

Source: Hansard (Parliament of Singapore)

Louis delivered his budget cut on Integrating Rental Units into Community at Committee of Supply 2019.

Louis: The next cut. Sir, I have two rental blocks in Nee Soon East and they are in a sense isolated from most of the other HDB blocks, with a school on one side and industrial properties on the other side.

I feel the stigma from living in a rental flat is strong especially when they seem to be isolated from the community and I worry about how children brought up in this environment will feel and what the impact is on them. I understand that they are existing HDB blocks where rental units are integrated with sold units in the same block thereby integrating the community.

Can Minister share HDB's experience with integrating rental units in the community and whether it has been beneficial for the children living there? Can Minister also share whether HDB intends to build more of such blocks and if so when?

Mr Lawrence Wong (The Minister for National Development): Thirdly, we can also facilitate more social interactions within the block itself.

We already have the Ethnic Integration Policy to ensure a better racial mix. We also try to mix different unit types within the same block, something which several Members spoke about. For example, in the past, we would build stand-alone blocks of studio apartments. Now, all 2-room Flexi flats launched are integrated with other flat types within the same block.

For rental flats, likewise, these are the same considerations when we build rental flats. We try not to cluster too many rental flats together, and try to build them together with sold flats in the same neighbourhood, so that residents can share and access the same communal facilities and amenities.

More recently, we have also launched three BTO projects with rental and sold flats within the same block itself. This is in Woodlands, Bukit Batok and Sengkang. The flats are still under construction but we will learn from this experience, get feedback about the lived experience in these flats, and if it is positive, we will certainly want to do more.

Importantly, it is also about how you design the block to maximise opportunities for social interaction. Some of these things, I would acknowledge, happen more through serendipity than deliberate design. I give an example of how in the past, we did not have lifts on every floor. So, the lift landing somehow became a place where neighbours get to meet one another. I say this from personal experience because my HDB apartment was on the 21st floor on a lift landing, just next to the lift. So, the neighbours come and we get to meet them all the time, and you can have a chance to talk to them.

Today, lift landings are on every floor, so you do not have as many opportunities for interaction. It is meant for barrier-free access, I think it is a good thing, but you do not have that many opportunities to meet. So, we have to use other design methods to encourage neighbourly interaction. That is why in some of the new BTO flats, for example in Dawson, HDB has tried out more seating areas in the common spaces near lift lobbies. We are trying out more greenery and rooftop spaces for residents to get together. These are different designs that are being piloted, that we are trying out. Again, it is something that we have to learn by doing, and from that experiences and feedback that we get, we can improve for each new project that we embark on.

So, one major thrust in how we want to build our future Singapore is to make sure that we are more inclusive.

Source: Hansard (Parliament of Singapore)

Louis delivered his budget cut on HDB Rental Flats for Singles at Committee of Supply 2021.

Louis: Sir, I am glad that we have reformed our housing policies for single unwed parents. I thank HDB for providing the much needed helping hand to the single unweds.  

We can do more also for singles. Many of the lower income singles are in need of rental housing due to various circumstances and many are seniors.

HDB does help under the Joint Singles Scheme (JSS), which requires single tenants to rent a flat together with a flat mate. As they are single, many are unable to find a flat mate and are in the end housed with a stranger. I am sure many Members in this House would have handled MPS cases of flat mates not getting along.  

I do understand HDB’s concerns that there may not be an ample supply of rental flats to cater for every single to rent a flat alone. However, I understand MND does allow a person to rent a flat alone on a case-by-case basis. Can MND review the JSS and consider publishing a set of specific criteria under which a person can rent a flat alone? 

Assoc Prof Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim (The Minister of State for National Development): Mr Lim Biow Chuan, Mr Chong Kee Hiong and Mr Louis Ng shared concerns about the Joint Singles Scheme, or JSS, for public rental. For example, some individuals face challenges in finding a flatmate to apply with, or in getting along with their flatmate. During the ESC, a few participants shared similar concerns. We understand their concerns and have been looking at ways to improve the JSS.

To provide more privacy, HDB has been building new 1-room rental flats with partitions, including some that have internal doors to separate the sleeping areas. There are currently 705 such rental flats with pre-installed partitions. For older 1-room rental flats, HDB will install partitions at the tenants’ request. Interested tenants can contact HDB. HDB has installed partitions in about 530 existing rental flats so far. 

Most single tenants are prepared to share a flat with a flatmate. Flat sharing enables companionship and mutual support, which is especially important for older tenants. It also allows us to help as many who need a public rental flat as possible, within our limited resources. For those who have extenuating circumstances, such as medical conditions that make it unfeasible for them to share a flat, we are prepared to look into their requests to rent a flat alone.

To provide an additional option to singles who apply under the JSS, HDB will pilot a new model which will allow them to apply individually, without having to find a flatmate first. In this new model, we will set aside a few floors in a few rental blocks and appoint social service agencies to manage the flats, including the flat-sharing arrangements. The social service agencies will have better expertise to match singles of similar profiles, and to mediate disagreements that may arise. If necessary, they can also arrange for individuals to move to another flat. The rents in this new model will be largely similar to the JSS rents, and tenants will be subject to the same eligibility conditions. HDB is working towards rolling out this pilot later this year and we will share more details when ready. 

Source: Hansard (Parliament of Singapore)