* Facepalm * Low subscription rate for two-room units in BTO projects

[AceFrehley]

Low subscription rate for two-room units in BTO projects

By Evelyn Lam and Sara Grosse
POSTED: 04 Jun 2013 8:30 PM

Artist's impression of Spring Haven@Jurong. (Graphic: HDB)

SINGAPORE: As of 5pm Tuesday, the Housing and Development Board has received only 82 applications for the 230 two-room flat units from the Build-To-Order (BTO) projects announced in May.

For example, at Spring Haven in Jurong West, there were 45 applications for 90 two-room units.

Meanwhile, the three-room and four-room units were oversubscribed.

The most popular out of the eight projects on offer are the three-room and four-room units in Hougang where there were more than three applicants for each unit.

HDB has received 4,172 applications for the 4,900 units offered in the May 2013 BTO Exercise.

Analysts Channel NewsAsia spoke with said the government had stopped building two-room flats for at least 10 to 20 years.

During the last two years, it resumed supply to provide for the low-income households.

Next month, singles above the age of 35 and earn up to S$5,000 a month will be allowed to buy new two-room BTO flats.

Analysts said this will prevent the oversupply of two-room flats but whether such flats will be popular with singles is still unknown.

Meanwhile, flats under the Sale of Balance Flats (SBF) exercise have seen stronger demand.

A total of 3,100 units are on offer, including those in mature estates like Bukit Merah and Queenstown.

As of 5pm on Tuesday, there were about five applicants for each flat on offer.

The two units at the iconic Pinnacle@Duxton drew the most number of applications.

There were 330 applicants vying for the unit that is equivalent to a five-room flat while 152 applications have been received for the other unit which is similar to a four-room unit.

The deadline for applications under the HDB's BTO and SBF exercises for May will end on June 5.

- CNA/al/fa

 

[steffychun]

Cheh I thought Low as in Low Thia Kiang

 

[eatshitndie]

the 2-room units are specially designed for wendy, but she prefers to live in a van. there's no point for a caring gov to cater to the whims of the poor and single when they have lofty preferences of their own. :p

 

[Anytime]

Cheh I thought Low as in Low Thia Kiang

Low subscribe to what?

 

[Leongsam]

the 2-room units are specially designed for wendy, but she prefers to live in a van. there's no point for a caring gov to cater to the whims of the poor and single when they have lofty preferences of their own. :p

Proof that nobody has been left behind.

 

[Leongsam]

Low subscribe to what?

sammyboy sex site.

 

[winnipegjets]

Proof that nobody has been left behind.

$1,700 is the median take-home income ...even a 1-room flat is unaffordable to 50 percent of the working class!

 

[Simbian]

For the smaller apartments, they might as well lift the restrictions on singles entirely - i.e. just need to be Singaporean and no limits on age or income ceiling.

 

[Leongsam]

$1,700 is the median take-home income ...even a 1-room flat is unaffordable to 50 percent of the working class!

Anyone who earns $1000 per month can afford an HDB apartment. Tharman said so.

 

[zhihau]

Anyone who earns $1000 per month can afford an HDB apartment. Tharman said so.

boss,
you forgot that they had also proven this fact with a full article running in the papers showing a guy with his brand new home!

 

[Leongsam]

boss,
you forgot that they had also proven this fact with a full article running in the papers showing a guy with his brand new home!

If someone asks me for proof, I'll post that article.

 

[bushtucker]

waste time. hdb should just stop building 2-room flats, build more 3-room flats and allow singles to participate in the 3-room BTO.

 

[winnipegjets]

Anyone who earns $1000 per month can afford an HDB apartment. Tharman said so.

Tharman's $1k goes further as he gets lots of goodies ...for every $1 he spends, he gets $100 worth of goods/service. That's the PAP advantage.

 

[bryanlim1972]

boss,
you forgot that they had also proven this fact with a full article running in the papers showing a guy with his brand new home!

that chap had thoroughly gamed the system. good job on him. he knows that earning anymore would disqualify him from a host of incentives and assistance.

its the dumb ones who try to earn more than 1k that get screwed over when they fail to qualify for assistance.

 

[ZorrorroZ]

Anyone who earns $1000 per month can afford an HDB apartment. Tharman said so.

So say we all...

 

[ginfreely]

Whatever that is unpopular will be reserved for singles to take up, last time it was 3 room flat now 2 room flat...

 

[Orion]

2 room flat is for people that are 55 year old and above. Normal singaporeans cannot apply.

 

[chupacabra]

Meanwhile entire blocks of flats for pinoys to rent cheaply.

 

[Cestbon]

2 room what can person do?
At last 3 room if single can invite parent to live together.
HDB really no brain.

 

[cunnilaubu]

All this $1,000 can afford a HDB flat talks are pure bullshits.
I spoke with personal experience.

One of my ex-employees, earning $1,500 a month for 2 years, applied for a 3-room flat but was rejected.
Reason? HDB thinks he can't service the loan. With 3 kids, wife not working and no savings, HDB refused to offer him loan.

How many kids did the m&d in that article has? 4? 5? He got the flat because he had money in his CPF to cover a substantial part of the price, not because he earns $1,000.

Our so called leaders are all living in ivory towers. They have no knowledge what goes on at the ground and their in own backyard.
Even someone like Tharman is no difference. That's the problem we have, 近墨者黑！