Two-thirds of BTO projects completed during Covid-19 outbreak delayed by 6 months or less: HDB
SINGAPORE - Buyers of flats in 17 Build-To-Order (BTO) projects completed and delivered during the Covid-19 pandemic faced additional waiting time of six months or less, said the Housing Board on Tuesday (Oct 12). The 17 projects make up about two-thirds of the 25 BTO projects delivered since January last year. The remaining eight BTO projects were delayed by between seven and 10 months, said HDB. In total, more than 16,000 new homes have been delivered to Singaporeans since January 2020. Including pandemic-induced delays, the waiting time for the projects ranged from 2.4 years to 5.3 years, with an average waiting time of 4.1 years, said HDB. Last Saturday, HDB said it is on track to complete another five more BTO projects by the end of this year, barring unforeseen circumstances. This comes as National Development Minister Desmond Lee said in Parliament earlier this month that the average waiting time for ongoing BTO flats is between four and five years, even after taking into account delays brought about by the pandemic. He was clarifying the misconception that waiting times for BTO flats have risen to six to seven years, given the impact that Covid-19 has had on the constructio...
BTO flat waiting times between 4 and 5 years, even with Covid-19 delays: Desmond Lee
SINGAPORE - The average waiting time for ongoing Build-to-Order (BTO) flats is between four and five years, even after taking into account delays brought about by the pandemic, said National Development Minister Desmond Lee. "Some have said that waiting times have risen to six to seven years. This is not the case," he told Parliament on Tuesday (Oct 5). "By and large, barring further unexpected developments, most flat buyers can expect to move into their flats within four to five years after booking their flats." The minister was responding to Ms Cheryl Chan (East Coast GRC), who had asked if estimated completion dates are expected to be pushed back, given the impact that Covid-19 has had on the construction sector. For BTO projects launched this year and last year, estimated waiting times range between three and 5½ years. The Hougang Citrine development, launched in August, is expected to be completed in three years, and the waiting time for Alkaff Breeze in Bidadari, launched in February, is just over three years. Garden Court @ Tengah, launched last November, has a waiting time of about 3½ years. But several projects - including Queen's Arc in Queenstown, launched in August - ar...