Residential
The Fresh Start Housing Scheme (Fresh Start) aims to help second-timer (ST)1 families with young children, who are currently living in public rental flats. It assists them in owning a 2-room Flexi flat by integrating financial assistance with personal responsibility and social support.
Households under the Fresh Start will be assisted through the following measures:
You can buy a short-lease 2-room Flexi flat in BTO or SBF sales exercises, which are more affordable than flats with the standard 99-year lease
The lease options range from 45 years to 65 years, but it must cover all owners and spouse-occupiers minimally till they are 95 years old
There will be a 20-year Minimum Occupation Period
You can take up an HDB Concessionary Loan subject to credit assessment
The levy is capped at $30,000
Will be adjusted downwards based on the length of the lease chosen
Fresh Start Housing Grant of $35,000
A $20,000 lump sum will be disbursed into eligible applicants’ CPF Ordinary Accounts just before key collection
The remaining grant of up to $15,000 may be disbursed into eligible applicants’ CPF Ordinary Accounts equally over 5 years, after key collection
Priority allocation given in HDB sales exercises of up to 10% of 2-room Flexi units under the Tenants’ Priority Scheme
To qualify for the Fresh Start, the family must fulfil these requirements:
Form a Second-Timer family nucleus. The applicant and his/ her spouse (if applicable) must be aged at least 35 and below 55 years old. Applicant(s) can be married, divorced, or widowed
Have at least 1 Singapore Citizen parent, with at least 1 Singapore Citizen child aged 18 or younger
Have at least 1 applicant (either the applicant or his/ her spouse (if applicable)) in stable employment in the preceding 12 months
Have occupied a public rental flat for at least 1 year, without accumulating 3 or more months of rental arrears in the preceding 12 months
Have not received any public rental tenancy discount under Relocation, Sale of Flat to Sitting Tenants, or Rent & Purchase Schemes
Qualify for the Letter of Social Assessment (LSA) from the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF). To qualify for the LSA, the family will be assessed based on (i) family stability, (ii) employment stability, (iii) ability to manage their finances well, and (iv) regularity of school attendance for all children below 16 years old. The LSA will be valid for 1 year
At the point of application for a 2-room Flexi flat, your household must also meet the following conditions:
The average gross monthly household income cannot exceed $7,000
Do not own other properties overseas or locally, and have not disposed of any within the last 30 months
If you and all applicants do not submit a flat application within the 1-year validity period of the first LSA, your Fresh Start and HDB loan applications will be cancelled.
To collect the keys to flats booked under the Fresh Start, you and all applicants must renew your LSA annually and have a valid LSA when the flats are ready. If the LSA is not renewed before its expiry, your flat and HDB loan applications will be cancelled, and 5% of the purchase price of the booked flat will be forfeited.
The lump sum Fresh Start Grant disbursement of $20,000 and HDB mortgage loan can only be used to pay for a maximum of 90% of the purchase price of the flat. If you and all applicants book an uncompleted flat, you will have to make the 10% downpayment using your CPF and/ or cash savings. If you and all applicants book a completed flat, you will have to make the balance 10% payment using your own CPF and/ or cash savings.
Each disbursement of the Fresh Start Grant is subject to you and all applicants' successful annual renewal of your LSA with MSF.
If you and all applicants purchase a flat under the Fresh Start, you would have enjoyed two housing subsidies and will no longer be eligible to buy another subsidised flat from HDB.
Mr and Mrs Tan (aged 40), are living with their child (aged 12) in a 2-room public rental flat. Mr Tan is the sole breadwinner, earning $1,400. They are currently paying monthly rental of $240 in cash.
The following table illustrates how they stand to benefit from the Fresh Start Housing Scheme:
For Illustration Only(a)
Current
Under Fresh Start
Flat Lease
Flat with 99-year lease
2R Flexi flat with 60-year lease
Selling Price
$115,000(b)
$95,800
What They Pay
(Selling Price plus Resale Levy(c))
$155,000
$120,800
Upfront Grant
Not eligible
$20,000
Housing Budget Needed
(Cash/CPF savings & housing loan)
$100,800
Assumed Cash/CPF Savings (e.g. from sale of previous flat)
$35,000
Housing Loan Needed
$120,000
$65,800
Monthly Mortgage Instalment (MI) Needed (over loan tenure of 25 years)
$550
Family will not qualify for this loan quantum.
At 39% Mortgage Servicing Ratio (MSR), this exceeds the maximum 30% MSR allowed
$300
(21% MSR)
The family will be able to qualify for this loan quantum
$290
$10
Help via Deferred Grant
$15,000
Loan tenure will be reduced by 6 years and 9 month
Notes (a) Flat prices and amounts payable are adjusted from 99-year lease. Prices exclude cost of Optional Component Scheme. The payment amounts are rounded to nearest $100 for illustration purposes only. Monthly mortgage instalments are rounded to the nearest $10.
(b) Based on the average price of 2R flats in non-mature estates in 2016, inclusive of Type 1 (36 sqm) and Type 2 (45 sqm) flats. The actual selling prices of 2-room Flexi flats may differ, depending on location, design features, individual flat attributes, and prevailing market conditions at the time of offer.
(c) An assumed amount for illustration purpose only. The actual amount payable varies according to the prevailing resale levy policy at the sale of the first subsidised flat.
If you are interested in Fresh Start, you can submit your application online.
