Single people will get priority for BTO apartments from mid-2025 under the new Family Care program

SINGAPORE – Single people applying for a buy-to-order (BTO) apartment will get priority access when buying a home near or with their parents under a new scheme that will come into effect from mid-2025.

Currently, priority access is limited to married couples and their parents.

The latest move is designed to strengthen intergenerational support among families, National Development Minister Desmond Lee said at a public dialogue session on November 6.

Mr Lee said parents and their children – regardless of marital status – will have priority access when applying for new apartments under the upcoming Family Care Scheme (FCS).

“We recognize that parenting is important, whether you are married or single. In fact, single adult children tend to bear a heavier burden of caring for aging parents,” Mr Lee said while speaking at the Frontier Community Club in Jurong West.

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong was the first to announce the government’s intention to open priority access lonely people during a National Day rally in August.

The new scheme will combine the three current priority schemes for couples, parents and senior citizens and will have two components.

FCS (Proximity), which will be implemented in mid-2025, gives parents and their children priority access if they apply for a new apartment to live near or near each other. This will replace the Married Children Priority Scheme and the Elderly Priority Scheme.

FCS (common voting) will allow parents and their children to apply for two units in one BTO project, replacing the multi-generational priority scheme. It will be presented at the end of 2025.

Mr Lee added that more details would be provided in due course.

When asked about the percentage of fixed supply allocated under the scheme, an HDB spokesperson said more details would be provided closer to implementation.

Currently, up to 30 percent of the flats under the BTO launch are allocated to first-time married families under the Married Children Priority Scheme.

At least 40 percent of two-room apartments are reserved for pensioners. This includes those applying under the Senior Priority Scheme to live near their parents or married child.

Under the Multi-Generation Priority Scheme, up to 15 percent of two-room or three-room apartments are allocated for parents who wish to live in the same BTO project with their married child.

An HDB spokesperson said the scheme would be implemented in two phases due to operational complexities and the need for major changes to the system.