Nearly 8,000 BTO flats launched across six towns in first sales exercise since income ceiling increase
The seven projects comprise three Standard projects in Sembawang, Tengah and Yishun, three Plus projects in Bedok and Geylang, and one Prime project in Toa Payoh.
Clockwise from top left: An artist's impressions of public housing projects Bayshore Sails, Toa Payoh Hillside, Merpati Meadow and Chencharu Acres. (Images: Housing and Development Board)
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SINGAPORE: The Housing and Development Board (HDB) launched 7,964 flats across seven projects in Bedok, Geylang, Sembawang, Tengah, Toa Payoh and Yishun in its November 2026 Build-to-Order (BTO) sales exercise.
This is the first sales exercise since monthly household income ceilings were raised in August to S$16,000 for families and S$8,000 for singles, HDB said in its media release on Wednesday (Nov 4).
The latest launch brings the total number of new flats launched by HDB in 2026 to 23,928, comprising 19,608 BTO flats and 4,320 Sale of Balance Flats.
Of the seven projects, three are Standard projects in Sembawang, Tengah and Yishun; three are Plus projects in Bedok and Geylang; and the remaining one is a Prime project in Toa Payoh.
HDB said the exercise offers a wide selection of flat types, ranging from Community Care Apartments and two-room Flexi flats to 3Gen flats, to cater to different housing needs and budgets.
Those looking to get their homes sooner can consider the 1,310 shorter-waiting-time flats at Sembawang Anchor with waiting times of less than three years. The other six projects have wait times of less than four years.
PROJECTS ON OFFER
The three Standard BTO projects are Sembawang Anchor in Sembawang, Plantation Dew in Tengah and Chencharu Acres in Yishun.
The Plus projects are Merpati Meadow in Geylang with a subsidy clawback rate of 8 per cent, as well as Bayshore Sails and Bayshore Oasis in Bedok, both with rates of 9 per cent.
Toa Payoh Hillside in Toa Payoh is the only Prime project in this sales exercise, with a subsidy recovery rate of 11 per cent.
The subsidy clawback rate is the percentage of the resale price or valuation, whichever is higher, that owners must pay HDB when they sell the flat.
HDB said that all new flats are significantly subsidised to ensure affordability. Plus and Prime flats receive additional subsidies because of their higher market values and more favourable locations.
"This ensures that HDB flats in better locations remain affordable and accessible for a wider group of home buyers, and public housing remains inclusive across different parts of Singapore."
Plus and Prime flats therefore come with stricter restrictions, including subsidy recovery upon resale.
When owners sell their flats after fulfilling the 10-year minimum occupation period, they must pay HDB a percentage of the resale price or valuation, whichever is higher.
HDB said that the subsidy clawback rates match the extra subsidies given for each project.
FLAT PRICES
Among the Standard projects, three-room flats at Plantation Dew start from S$266,000 before grants, while four-room flats at Sembawang Anchor start from S$312,000.
For the Plus projects, three-room flats at Bayshore Sails start from S$409,000, while four-room flats at Merpati Meadow start from S$545,000.
At the Prime project in Toa Payoh Hillside, four-room flats without balconies start from S$558,000, while those with balconies start from S$619,000.
These prices exclude housing grants.
Eligible first-timer families can receive up to S$120,000 under the Enhanced CPF Housing Grant.
With the grant, eligible buyers can purchase a three-room Standard flat from S$161,000 or a four-room Standard flat from S$232,000, depending on their household income and eligibility.
HOUSING OPTIONS
White flats, which feature open layouts without internal partition walls, will be offered for the three-room, four-room, and five-room units at Plantation Dew in Tengah.
These flats will cost S$6,000, S$8,600 and S$9,000 less respectively than units with the default layout, as they do not come with internal partition walls and some electrical points.
More than one in three flats offered in this exercise are two-room Flexi flats, available across all seven projects to cater to first-time singles and seniors.
HDB said it will launch a total of 20,000 two-room Flexi flats from 2026 to 2028.
The latest exercise also includes 256 Community Care Apartments at Toa Payoh Hillside, the sixth such project to be launched.
This is the first Community Care Apartments project offered since the eligibility age was lowered from 65 to 55.
HDB said that seniors looking to right-size their homes can consider either such an apartment or a two-room Flexi flat on a short lease when they turn 55.
Minister for National Development Chee Hong Tat said that home buyers have different considerations when looking for a flat.
"For some, affordability is the biggest consideration. For others, it is about being able to move in sooner, living near their loved ones, or finding a home that meets their needs as they grow older," he said in a Facebook post on Wednesday.
MORE COMPETITION EXPECTED
Data analytics from real estate agency Huttons Asia showed that Prime and Plus flats account for 54.8 per cent of the total supply in this exercise, continuing a trend since October 2025 in which they have made up more than half of the flats launched.
Ms Christine Sun, chief researcher and strategist of property group Realion (OrangeTee & ETC), said that the sales exercise – the first since monthly household income ceilings were raised – will likely see higher demand from home buyers for BTO flats.
Middle-income families and higher-earning dual-income couples without children are likely to benefit most from the higher income ceiling, as they can now qualify to buy subsidised BTO flats, she said.
However, the wider pool of eligible buyers could reduce the chances of securing a flat for applicants who do not receive priority in the ballot, she added.
Mr Lee Sze Teck, senior director of data analytics at Huttons Asia, said that the expanded eligibility pool is expected to intensify competition and potentially drive the total number of applicants to more than 30,000, pushing the overall application rate above 3.7 – the highest level since July 2025, when the rate was 4.2.
He added that flats with waiting times of around three years or less could draw demand away from the resale market and help further stabilise resale flat prices.
WHAT APPLICANTS SHOULD KNOW
The November 2026 BTO exercise runs from Wednesday till Nov 11.
Applicants must have a valid HDB Flat Eligibility (HFE) letter when they submit their flat application and may apply for only one flat type in one town.
An administrative fee of S$10 is payable for each application.
"Applicants are encouraged to plan their finances carefully and select a suitable flat based on their budget and needs," HDB said, adding that homebuyers should also consider the current loan-to-value limit of 75 per cent for HDB housing loans.
The loan-to-value limit is the maximum share of a property's price or value that a housing loan can finance.
HDB also said that applicants who want to improve their chances of securing a flat should monitor application rates across different HDB projects throughout the sales exercise and consider applying to projects with lower application rates, such as around one or lower.
Application rates will be available on the HDB Flat Portal and updated several times daily throughout the application window.
Applicants will be informed of their queue positions in January 2027, while flat booking is tentatively scheduled to begin in March.
HDB said that applicants are shortlisted through a computer ballot rather than on a first-come, first-served basis.
The next BTO sales exercise will be held in February 2027, with about 4,300 flats in Bishan, Tampines, Tengah and Toa Payoh on offer.
A concurrent Sale of Balance Flats exercise will also offer about 5,000 flats.
Prospective buyers planning to take part in these exercises should apply for their HFE letter early and submit all required documents by Dec 15.
