The housing grants available in Singapore

If you’ve only got a minute:

• Most HDB grants are income dependent
• While a resale flat is typically more expensive than a new flat, there are additional grants to help with affordability
• After selling your flat, you will not be allowed to keep the grants in cash, and they will have to be returned to your CPF

With the rising cost of living, we are on the constant lookout for good deals and savings to stretch the dollar; especially so if you are considering a big-ticket item like a property. If you are in the market for public housing, you are likely comparing the different grants that you can get from buying a BTO, resale and executive condominium (EC). After all, getting the right housing grant can help you save quite a bit of money!

You can use this infographic to find out what HDB grants might be available to you!

Summary of Grants Available

	BTO/SBF	Resale	EC	Grant Quantum	Income Ceiling
Enhanced Housing Grant	Yes	Yes	No	Up to S$120,000	S$9,000
CPF Housing Grant for Family	No	Yes	Yes	S$10,000 to S$80,000	S$12,000 (EC) S$14,000 (Resale)
Proximity Housing Grant	No	Yes	No	Up to S$30,000	Not Applicable

HDB Grants for BTO

For those looking to get a BTO for the first time, the Enhanced Housing Grant (EHG) is the only grant available. This is not a surprise given that BTO is sold at a cheaper price compared to neighbouring flats.

Couples comprising of two first-timers

You will be eligible for EHG (Families) of up to S$120,000 and the amount received is dependent on the average gross monthly household income for the 12 months prior to the flat application date. In addition, one of the applicants must have worked continuously for 12 months prior to the flat application and still be working at the time of the flat application.

Enhanced Housing Grants for First-timer Household

Average Monthly Household Income (12 months)	EHG Quantum
Not more than S$1,500	S$120,000
S$1,501 to S$2,000	S$110,000
S$2,001 to S$2,500	S$105,000
S$2,501 to S$3,000	S$95,000
S$3,001 to S$3,500	S$90,000
S$3,501 to S$4,000	S$80,000
S$4,001 to S$4,500	S$70,000
S$4,501 to S$5,000	S$65,000
S$5,001 to S$5,500	S$55,000
S$5,501 to S$6,000	S$50,000
S$6,001 to S$6,500	S$40,000
S$6,501 to S$7,000	S$30,000
S$7,001 to S$7,500	S$25,000
S$7,501 to S$8,000	S$20,000
S$8,001 to S$8,500	S$10,000
S$8,501 to S$9,000	S$5,000
More than S$9,000	Not Applicable

Couples comprising a first-timer and a second-timer or first-timer with a foreign spouse

You will be eligible for EHG (Singles) of up to S$60,000. Half of the average monthly household income in the past 12 months before the flat application is used to determine the grant amount. Additionally, at least one of you must be working continuously for the past 12 months prior to the flat application and still be working at the time of the flat application.

Enhanced Housing Grant (Singles)

Half of Average Monthly Household Income (12 months)	EHG Quantum
Not more than S$750	S$60,000
S$751 to S$1,000	S$55,000
S$1,001 to S$1,250	S$52,500
S$1,251 to S$1,500	S$47,500
S$1,501 to S$1,750	S$45,000
S$1,751 to S$2,000	S$40,000
S$2,001 to S$2,250	S$35,000
S$2,251 to S$2,500	S$32,500
S$2,501 to S$2,750	S$27,500
S$2,751 to S$3,000	S$25,000
S$3,001 to S$3,250	S$20,000
S$3,251 to S$3,500	S$15,000
S$3,501 to S$3,750	S$12,500
S$3,751 to S$4,000	S$10,000
S$4,001 to S$4,250	S$5,000
S$4,251 to S$4,500	S$2,500
More than S$4,500	Not Applicable

HDB grants for resale flats

If you are in the market for resale flats, fret not as the EHG is also available to you. With the prices of resale flats typically being higher than BTO, there are 2 more grants available for Singaporeans who choose to buy a resale flat over waiting for a BTO flat.

The first grant available is the Proximity Housing Grant (PHG). If you are buying a resale flat to live with or near your parents/ child, you may apply for the PHG. The amount of grant received can be found in the tables below.

Couples consisting of 2 Singapore Citizen (SC) or 1 SC and 1 Singapore Permanent Resident (SPR)

	Grant Amount
Live with your parents/child	S$30,000
Live near your parents/child (within 4km)	S$20,000

Couples with a non-resident spouse

	Grant Amount
Live with your parents/child	S$15,000
Live near your parents/child (within 4km)	S$10,000

While there is no income ceiling, the child or parents that are helping the applicants to qualify for PHG must either own the residential property or be owner-occupied by their immediate family members.

There is much advantage to living near your elderly parents – it allows you to spend more time with them, and they may be able to help you take care of your young children should the need arise.

The second available grant is the CPF Housing Grant for Resale Flats which helps to ease the financial burden of families choosing to buy a resale flat. This grant encompasses three other grants, namely the Family Grant, Top-Up Grant and Singles Grant.

Couples consisting of two first-timers or one first-timer SC

You will be eligible for the Family Grant if your average gross monthly household income does not exceed S$14,000. The exact grant amount can be found in the tables below.

First-timer households

	SC/SC	SC/SPR
2 to 4-room	S$80,000	S$70,000
5-room or bigger	S$50,000	S$40,000

First and Second-timer couples

	SC/SC
2 to 4-room	S$40,000
5-room or bigger	S$25,000

First-timer with a foreign spouse

You will be eligible for the Singles Grant if the average gross monthly household income does not exceed S$14,000. The grant amount is as follows.

	Grant Amount
2 to 4-room	S$40,000
5-room or bigger	S$25,000

Top-Up Grant

This grant is eligible to the recipients of a Singles Grant who bought an HDB resale flat under the Non-Citizen Spouse Scheme and whose spouse or child is a SC or SPR. The amount of grant received is the difference between the prevailing Family Grant and the Singles Grant that you have previously received.

Grants for EC

For those getting an EC, you will be able to enjoy up to $30,000 of Family Grant for a couple where both are Singapore Citizens, and up to $20,000 if the couple is made up of one SC and one SPR. When the SPR spouse obtains Singapore citizenship, you may also apply for the Citizen Top-Up of $10,000.

Important notes about CPF housing grants

#1: Housing grants have to be returned to your CPF with interest

When you obtain a housing grant, the money is fully credited into your CPF account and eventually used for the payment of your home. No cash is disbursed in the process.

When you sell your flat, the grant amount will be returned to your CPF along with the accrued interest. This includes any CPF savings you have used to pay for the downpayment or monthly mortgage repayments.

On paper, you are able to use the refunded grant money to fund your next purchase. However, if the housing grant to be returned to your CPF exceeds S$30,000, the excess will be divided among your SA, RA and Medisave.

#2: Grants cannot be used for your monthly repayments or downpayment

You will not be able to use the housing grants to pay for the downpayment of your flat or use it to make repayments on your mortgage. This means that if you have taken a bank loan, you would still need to fork out the 5% of the purchase price in cash for your downpayment.

#3: Resale levy is payable if you buy a new property

If you have previously bought a new HDB flat or received any CPF Housing Grant, you will need to pay a resale levy when you buy a new HDB or EC unit.

The amount of resale levy is dependent on the size of your first HDB flat. If you are buying a resale unit or private property, you will not need to pay a resale levy.

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