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HDB clarifies rule on siblings
Both unmarried citizens and PRs can buy resale flats if eligibility criteria are met
By Jessica Cheam, Housing Correspondent
HOMEBUYERS who are siblings and unmarried - whether citizens or permanent residents (PRs) - can apply to buy HDB resale flats if their parents live overseas and do not already own a public flat.
They do not have to be above the age of 35, and their applications will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
The Housing Board (HDB) made these points in response to queries from The Straits Times after concerns about the siblings rule surfaced recently in online forums. Some forum users had noted that unmarried PR siblings above the age of 21 were allowed to buy HDB resale flats whereas Singapore citizen siblings were not.
In a letter written last month and addressed to National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan and HDB chief executive Cheong Koon Hean, Mr Tony Tan Keng Hong asked why there was a difference in the rules.
Under HDB rules, unmarried Singapore citizens can buy HDB resale flats only if they are above the age of 35 under the Singapore Citizen scheme.
They can also buy a resale flat with their siblings if their parents are dead under the Orphans Scheme. Under this scheme, the siblings do not have to be above 35.
The online debate mentioned instances where unmarried PR siblings were allowed to buy HDB resale flats, and there was some unhappiness as people seemed to think Singaporean siblings could not.
But the HDB told The Straits Times last Friday that there is no difference in the way the rules treat citizen and PR siblings. It will consider applications from any unmarried siblings above 21 whose parents are alive as long as the parents live overseas and do not own an HDB flat concurrently.
This is considered on a case-by-case basis, the HDB said. It did not say how many flats are owned by siblings in such situations, but industry observers said such cases are not common. Dennis Wee Group director Chris Koh said less than 5 per cent of HDB resale flats sold fall into this category.
The perception that more PR siblings are buying HDB resale flats is because they are more likely to fulfil the requirement of having parents who live overseas and do not own an HDB flat, he said.
The growing number of PRs and foreigners in Singapore has made immigration a hot topic, particularly with regard to rules and privileges for citizens and PRs.
The HDB addressed these concerns in March last year when it made a bigger distinction between benefits for citizens and PRs. It set new quotas on PR ownership of flats in specific blocks and neighbourhoods. A citizen-PR couple will also get $10,000 less subsidy than a couple where both are citizens.
When contacted, letter writer Mr Tan, 33, who runs his own health-care business, said he is still concerned as PR siblings are more likely to meet the eligibility criteria and he fears they will compete with Singaporeans for flats.
But Dennis Wee Group's Mr Koh felt the policy was fair as 'policymakers must also cater to those PR siblings who have chosen to sink their roots here and buy homes'.
[email protected]
Both unmarried citizens and PRs can buy resale flats if eligibility criteria are met
By Jessica Cheam, Housing Correspondent
HOMEBUYERS who are siblings and unmarried - whether citizens or permanent residents (PRs) - can apply to buy HDB resale flats if their parents live overseas and do not already own a public flat.
They do not have to be above the age of 35, and their applications will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
The Housing Board (HDB) made these points in response to queries from The Straits Times after concerns about the siblings rule surfaced recently in online forums. Some forum users had noted that unmarried PR siblings above the age of 21 were allowed to buy HDB resale flats whereas Singapore citizen siblings were not.
In a letter written last month and addressed to National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan and HDB chief executive Cheong Koon Hean, Mr Tony Tan Keng Hong asked why there was a difference in the rules.
Under HDB rules, unmarried Singapore citizens can buy HDB resale flats only if they are above the age of 35 under the Singapore Citizen scheme.
They can also buy a resale flat with their siblings if their parents are dead under the Orphans Scheme. Under this scheme, the siblings do not have to be above 35.
The online debate mentioned instances where unmarried PR siblings were allowed to buy HDB resale flats, and there was some unhappiness as people seemed to think Singaporean siblings could not.
But the HDB told The Straits Times last Friday that there is no difference in the way the rules treat citizen and PR siblings. It will consider applications from any unmarried siblings above 21 whose parents are alive as long as the parents live overseas and do not own an HDB flat concurrently.
This is considered on a case-by-case basis, the HDB said. It did not say how many flats are owned by siblings in such situations, but industry observers said such cases are not common. Dennis Wee Group director Chris Koh said less than 5 per cent of HDB resale flats sold fall into this category.
The perception that more PR siblings are buying HDB resale flats is because they are more likely to fulfil the requirement of having parents who live overseas and do not own an HDB flat, he said.
The growing number of PRs and foreigners in Singapore has made immigration a hot topic, particularly with regard to rules and privileges for citizens and PRs.
The HDB addressed these concerns in March last year when it made a bigger distinction between benefits for citizens and PRs. It set new quotas on PR ownership of flats in specific blocks and neighbourhoods. A citizen-PR couple will also get $10,000 less subsidy than a couple where both are citizens.
When contacted, letter writer Mr Tan, 33, who runs his own health-care business, said he is still concerned as PR siblings are more likely to meet the eligibility criteria and he fears they will compete with Singaporeans for flats.
But Dennis Wee Group's Mr Koh felt the policy was fair as 'policymakers must also cater to those PR siblings who have chosen to sink their roots here and buy homes'.
[email protected]
