SINGAPORE – Eligible families awaiting the completion of their Housing and Development Board (HDB) Build-To-Order (BTO) flats will soon receive vouchers worth S$300 per month to offset the rent for an HDB flat or room on the open market.

The voucher scheme, an initiative under the Parenthood Provisional Housing Scheme (PPHS), will run for one year from July 2024, Development Minister Desmond Lee said during a parliamentary debate on the ministry’s budget on Tuesday (March 5).

Eligible families will receive a refund based on the number of months their tenancy is within the specified one-year period, up to S$3,600 if they qualify for the full year of assistance. They will not be eligible for the voucher if the units are rented by immediate family members or close relatives.

To qualify, families must meet the current PPHS criteria, which include a monthly household income threshold of S$7,000 or less, and have a tenancy registered with the HDB.

PPHS includes expectant parents

The PPHS provides temporary rental housing for families waiting for their BTO flats. The scheme allocates flats by giving priority to married couples with at least one child aged 18 or less and expectant parents. According to HDB, more than 4,200 families have benefited from the PPHS since its launch in 2013.

In early February, the HDB announced that it would double the number of flats available under the PPHS from the current 2,000 to 4,000 by 2025. Most of the additional PPHS units will come from the approximately 2,000 vacated HDB flats in Tanglin Halt that were earmarked for the Selective En Bloc Redevelopment Scheme (SERS).

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