HDB grants are a factor most prospective homeowners will consider when buying an HDB flat. For first-timers eyeing a flat in Singapore, getting an HDB grant will probably be the most important aspect of financing their properties, as grants help make homes more ‘affordable’.
As the title suggests, HDB grants are credited into your CPF Ordinary Account (OA) via CPF top-up and must be returned to your CPF account once you sell the flat. While some people may believe in not using your CPF to pay for your house, in a country where houses are expensive, grants can make it easier to own a home.
But with so many CPF housing grant eligibility criteria, trying to apply for one can get pretty confusing. With a focus on grants for couples and families – comprising at least one Singapore Citizen (SC), and the other spouse a Singapore Permanent Resident (SPR) – we’ll explain in this article everything you need to know about housing grants and how you can qualify for them.
HDB Housing Grant Eligibility for Couples and Families (Overview)
| HDB Housing Grant | It can be used to buy this type of HDB flat |
| Enhanced CPF Housing Grant (Families) (EHG) | BTO and resale |
| CPF Housing Grants for Resale Flats (Families) | Resale |
| Proximity Housing Grant (PHG) | Resale |
| Step-Up CPF Housing Grant (Families) (SUHG) | If you currently own a 2-room flat that was bought from HDB after October 1955, or a resale HDB flat with a CPF housing grant, you’re eligible to buy a 3-room BTO or resale flat
If you currently live in a public rental flat, you’re eligible to buy a BTO (2-room Flexi flat, 3-room flat) and resale (2-room flat) |
| CPF Housing Grant (Family Grant) | Executive Condominium (EC) |
| CPF Housing Grant (Half-Housing Grant) | EC |
1. Enhanced CPF Housing Grant (Families) (EHG)
| Income ceiling | HDB grant amount |
| Not more than $1,500 | $80,000 |
| $1,500 to $2,000 | $75,000 |
| $2,000 to $2,500 | $70,000 |
| $2,501 to $3,000 | $65,000 |
| $3,001 to $3,500 | $60,000 |
| $3,501 to $4,000 | $55,000 |
| $4,001 to $4,500 | $50,000 |
| $4,501 to $5,000 | $45,000 |
| $5,001 to $5,500 | $40,000 |
| $5,501 to $6,000 | $35,000 |
| $6,001 to $6,500 | $30,000 |
| $6,501 to $7,000 | $25,000 |
| $7,001 to $7,500 | $20,000 |
| $7,501 to $8,000 | $15,000 |
| $8,001 to $8,500 | $10,000 |
| $8,501 to $9,000 | $5,000 |
CPF Housing Grant Eligibility for EHG
| Criteria | Details |
| Applicant profile | First-timer applicant couples and families who haven’t previously received HDB CPF grants |
| Employment | One applicant must’ve worked continuously for at least 12 months before applying |
| Remaining lease of the HDB flat | More than 20 years, and long enough to cover the younger spouse up to 95 years old |
| Existing/recent ownership/interest in Singapore property other than an HDB flat | Mustn’t have owned or had an interest in local or overseas private property, and
Mustn’t have disposed of private property at least 30 months before applying |
Who Is Considered a First-timer for HDB Flats?
- Not the current owner of, hasn’t sold, and hasn’t been a recipient of any CPF Housing Grants for the purchase of a flat bought directly from HDB, a Design, Build & Sell Scheme (DBSS) flat, or an EC bought from the developer
- Hasn’t sold an HDB flat with re-housing benefits under the Selective En bloc Redevelopment Scheme (SERS), or received other housing subsidies including enjoying SERS benefits or the privatisation of Housing and Urban Company (HUDC) estate
Interest in property happens when you:
- Buy a property
- Obtain it as a gift
- Inherit it
- Own, acquire, or dispose of it through an intermediary
Read more about the eligibility conditions for fiancé and fiancées, married couples and/or parent(s) with children (relevant for the Step-Up CPF Housing Grant (SUHG)), multi-generation families, and non-residents (relevant for the Proximity Housing Grant (PHG)).
2. CPF Housing Grants for Resale Flats (Families)
| Household | Grant amount when buying a 2- to 4-room HDB resale flat | Grant amount when buying a 5-room or bigger HDB resale flat |
| First-timer SC-SC couples | $50,000 | $40,000 |
| First-timer SC-SPR couples | $40,000 | $30,000 |
| First- and second-timer SC-SC couples | $25,000 | $20,000 |
| First- and second-timer SC-SPR couples | $20,000 | $15,000 |
Read more about the CPF Housing Grants for Resale Flats (Families) announcements by Mr Lawrence Wong, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, during the Budget 2023 statement on 14 February 2023.
CPF Housing Grant Eligibility for Resale Flats (Families)
| Criteria | Details |
| Applicant profile | First-timer couples and families, or
First-timer SCs whose spouses previously received HDB grants |
| Income ceiling | $14,000, or
$21,000 if purchasing with an extended or multi-generation family |
| Remaining lease of the HDB flat | More than 20 years |
| Existing/recent ownership/interest in Singapore property other than an HDB flat | Mustn’t have owned or had an interest in local or overseas private property, and
Mustn’t have disposed of private property at least 30 months before applying Mustn’t be buying an HDB flat announced for SERS |
3. Proximity Housing Grant (PHG)
| Household | HDB grant amount |
| Living with your parents/child | $30,000 |
| Living within 4km of your parents/child | $20,000 |
CPF Housing Grant Eligibility For PHG
| Criteria | Details |
| Applicant profile | Couples and families who haven’t previously received the PHG |
| Remaining lease of the HDB flat | More than 20 years |
| Existing/recent ownership/interest in Singapore property other than an HDB flat | Mustn’t have owned or had an interest in local or overseas private property, and
Mustn’t have disposed of private property at least 30 months before applying |
Read our full review of the PHG.
4. Step-Up CPF Housing Grant (Families) (SUHG)
| Criteria | Details |
| Applicant profile | Couples and families who’ve taken one housing subsidy |
| Income ceiling | $7,000 |
| Remaining lease of the HDB flat | More than 20 years |
| Existing/recent ownership/interest in Singapore property other than an HDB flat | Mustn’t have owned or had an interest in local or overseas private property, and
Mustn’t have disposed of private property at least 30 months before applying |
5. Family Grant Vs Half-Housing Grant (CPF Housing Grant)
| Income ceiling | Family Grant amount (for SC-SC households) | Family Grant amount (for SC-SPR households) | Half-Housing Grant amount (if you are a first-timer SC and your co-applicant is a second-timer who has previously taken one housing subsidy) |
| $10,000 or lower | $30,000 | $20,000 | $15,000 |
| $10,001 to $11,000 | $20,000 | $10,000 | $10,000 |
| $11,001 to $12,000 | $10,000 | None | $5,000 |
SC-SPR households who apply for the CPF Housing Grant can receive an additional $10,000 when the SPR converts to an SC by applying for the Citizen Top-Up housing subsidy within six months of eligibility.
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