HDB’s mission is stated as providing affordable, quality housing and a great living environment where communities thrive. That mission has become increasingly complicated, as Singaporean households take on different structures and HDB needs to assess how to apportion tax-payer subsidies and grants in a myriad of different situations. Some form families later in life, others prioritise multi-generational caregiving, all while following life and career paths that are not always linear.
One area that I wish to raise for review is the imposition of the Minimum Occupation Period on non-owners i.e. on the listed occupiers of a flat. Such a policy can cause hardship to families in certain situations. For instance, a widowed or divorced middle-aged parent may want to downsize, and decides to purchase a subsidised 3-room flat, listing an unmarried adult child as an essential occupier. Under HDB’s policies, the Minimum Occupation Period will apply to both owners and occupiers like. In the case of standard flats, the MOP is 5 years, while for PLUS and PRIME flats, it is 10 years.
Such a restriction on the unmarried adult children who are only occupiers will restrict their life choices. If they later meet a life partner but defer marriage for another 5 to 10 years, this could take them out of their critical child-bearing years.
Singapore is facing a critically low Total Fertility Rate of 0.87, way below the replacement level of 2.1. Our housing policies should not inadvertently discourage younger Singaporeans who wish to start families.
The policy objective of the MOP to reduce speculation in the public housing market is an entirely understandable and laudable one. But as family structures and life courses of Singaporeans become more diverse, our public housing policies need to be responsive to such lived realities. I urge the Ministry to continue to consider how existing rules and frameworks can be better refined to align with these diverse aspirations of Singaporeans.
