SINGAPORE - About 10,500 Housing Board flats were completed in the first eight months of 2024, the vast majority of which were in projects that had been delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
With the completion of these flats, HDB said that from October 2020 to the end of August 2024, it finished 87, or about 94 per cent, of the pandemic-delayed housing projects.
HDB said in a statement on Sept 2 that the waiting time of flats completed in 2024 ranged from about three to five years, after accounting for hold-ups caused by the pandemic.
It added that it is on track to complete about 18,000 flats across 24 projects in 2024.
HDB previously said the majority of Build-To-Order (BTO) projects affected by the pandemic faced delays of between six and 12 months.
The remaining delayed projects are on track to be completed within the coming six months, said National Development Minister Desmond Lee.
Acknowledging that delays caused by the pandemic have severely disrupted the HDB’s building programme and caused inconvenience to home buyers, Mr Lee added: “Our HDB colleagues, consultants and contractors worked closely over the past few years to catch up on lost time to complete these delayed projects.
“We thank flat buyers for their understanding and patience through this period.”
HDB had ramped up flat supply to deal with construction-related delays, but the compressed timelines also led to issues for some residents, such as in Tengah estate, where home owners faced condensation and leaks from their cooling systems.
In its Sept 2 statement, HDB cited two BTO projects that were completed in 2024.
The first to be completed, Alkaff Breeze in Bidadari, comprises 353 units of four-room and five-room flats across three residential blocks.
Since construction ended in June, 290 households – about 85 per cent of 340 booked units – have collected their keys as at Aug 15, said HDB.
With Alkaff Breeze completed, all flats in Bidadari’s Alkaff district have been built, making it the second district in Bidadari to be completed after Woodleigh district in May 2023.
The other BTO project, Tampines GreenGem, was completed in March 2024.
It is the first housing project to be completed in Tampines South. Of the 1,036 booked units, about 98 per cent, or 1,014 households, have collected the keys to their flats as at Aug 15.
