It was news welcomed by many when the Housing Board launched 6,057 Build-To-Order flats on Dec 5 for sale across eight projects in Bedok, Bishan, Bukit Merah, Bukit Panjang, Jurong West, Queenstown and Woodlands. The news got better when the HDB also announced that it would increase the subsidies for two projects, in Bukit Merah and Queenstown, that fall under the prime location public housing model. These extra subsidies are given in response to rising prices in the resale market. These announcements were in keeping with the HDB’s national role of putting a roof over the heads of Singaporeans, public housing being a crucial legacy of independence.

Although the vast majority of Singaporeans are grateful to the HDB, two recent peeves have centred on affordability and waiting times for new flats. Both issues came up in Parliament in February 2023, when MPs weighed in on the issue of public housing affordability, with suggestions that ranged from urgently ramping up the Build-To-Order flat supply to capping prices of four-room Build-To-Order flats. What came through clearly in the parliamentary debate was the Government’s commitment to keep public housing affordable and accessible while meeting the needs of present and future Singaporeans. This statement reiterated two fundamentals. First, unlike countries where housing is largely a matter of personal responsibility that is left to market forces, in Singapore, public housing constitutes a cardinal principle of social policy. That is, public housing not only puts a roof over heads but also builds communities for citizens to live in and experience life together. Second, the public housing model allows Singaporeans to unlock the value of their homes and grow their nest egg. Today, about 90 per cent of resident households living in HDB flats own their homes.