SINGAPORE — Home buyers hoping to secure a new flat in two highly sought-after central locations have been given an important new option: more than 1,200 Build-to-Order flats are being developed in Sin Ming and Toa Payoh with waiting times of less than three years.
National Development Minister Chee Hong Tat announced on Sunday, August 30, that the two upcoming developments will be part of Singapore’s growing supply of Shorter Waiting Time, or SWT, flats.
Unlike conventional BTO projects where buyers can face a longer wait before collecting their keys, SWT projects are designed so that construction is already well underway before successful applicants book their units.
That could make the Sin Ming and Toa Payoh developments particularly attractive to couples and families who want a new subsidised HDB flat but do not want to wait four years or longer to move in.
There is, however, one major piece of information buyers still do not have: HDB has not announced when the flats will actually go on sale.
Chee said the launch dates and estimated waiting periods will be released when they are ready.
How Many Flats Are Being Built?
While the government described the two projects as providing about 1,200 flats, more detailed reporting indicates that the developments could contain 1,269 homes altogether.
The larger development is being constructed at Sin Ming Street in Bishan, where around 1,076 flats are planned.
The project is also expected to include neighbourhood amenities such as a supermarket and childcare centre.
It is being built opposite Sin Ming Residences, the 984-unit public housing project that marked the return of new HDB development to the Sin Ming area after decades without a new public housing project.
The second project is at Lorong 4 Toa Payoh, where construction has begun on a 40-storey residential block containing 193 flats.
Plans for the site also include a multi-storey carpark with a rooftop garden, a precinct pavilion and community facilities.
The Straits Times reported that both developments are expected to be completed around mid-2030. Based on that construction timetable, a launch from around mid-2027 has been suggested as a possibility, but this remains an estimate rather than an official HDB sales date.
Why Sin Ming Could Be Highly Competitive
Sin Ming is likely to attract significant attention because new public housing supply in the neighbourhood has historically been limited.
The area returned to the BTO market with Sin Ming Residences after more than three decades without new HDB flats being built there.
When construction of that project first emerged in 2023, property analysts were already predicting strong buyer demand because of pent-up interest in the area and its location within Bishan town.
Sin Ming also sits close to established neighbourhoods such as Bishan, Ang Mo Kio and Upper Thomson, giving residents access to mature transport networks, schools, retail options and other amenities.
The latest project would therefore add another substantial batch of public housing to an area where new supply has traditionally been scarce.
Toa Payoh Project Could Be Even Scarcer
The Lorong 4 Toa Payoh development is considerably smaller, with only 193 flats planned.
That limited supply could make the project especially closely watched.
Toa Payoh is one of Singapore’s oldest and most established public housing towns, leaving relatively little undeveloped land for large new projects.
HDB has increasingly looked at redeveloping existing or previously used sites — including carparks and other brownfield land — to create additional housing in mature estates.
Property analysts cited by The Straits Times expect the Lorong 4 project to attract healthy interest because of its location and proximity to established transport and town-centre amenities. They have also suggested it could eventually receive a Plus or Prime classification, although HDB has not announced its classification, flat mix or selling prices.
Those details will only become official when HDB releases the project information for its eventual sales exercise.
Singapore Is Building More Flats Before Buyers Apply
The two developments are part of a broader shift in Singapore’s housing strategy: build more homes and begin construction earlier.
HDB previously announced plans to offer around 19,600 BTO flats in 2026, with more than 4,000 — about one-fifth of the year’s planned supply — classified as Shorter Waiting Time flats with waits below three years.
Between 2025 and 2027, HDB is targeting roughly 55,000 new BTO flats and has said it is prepared to increase supply further if demand requires it.
The strategy appears to be having an impact.
Chee said recently that the application rate among first-timer families seeking three-room or larger BTO flats has fallen dramatically from nearly seven applicants for every flat in 2020 to around 1.3 currently.
That means first-time buyers are generally facing better odds than during the severe housing crunch seen around the pandemic period.
More Buyers Are Now Eligible for BTO Flats
There is another reason the upcoming Sin Ming and Toa Payoh developments could be closely watched.
Singapore recently increased the monthly household income ceiling for subsidised HDB flats from S$14,000 to S$16,000 for eligible families applying for an HDB Flat Eligibility letter from August 24, 2026.
The corresponding ceiling for eligible singles was raised from S$7,000 to S$8,000.
The government said the adjustment was necessary because household incomes have risen since the ceilings were last changed in 2019, causing some aspiring home buyers to exceed the previous limits.
The higher ceiling potentially brings another group of middle-income households back into the BTO market just as Singapore continues increasing new-flat supply.
More Homes Are Coming to Central Singapore
Sin Ming and Toa Payoh are not isolated developments.
Chee highlighted plans for approximately 1,600 homes across three developments in the Lakeview and Shunfu area, with the first project already offered during the June 2026 BTO exercise.
More than 10,000 public and private homes are also planned across Toa Payoh West and Mount Pleasant over the coming decade.
The objective is not simply to increase Singapore’s housing stock.
The government wants to introduce younger households into established neighbourhoods while giving Singaporeans more opportunities to live closer to parents and other family members.
What Buyers Still Need to Watch
For prospective buyers, several critical questions remain unanswered.
HDB has yet to announce the official launch dates, selling prices, flat types, project classifications and final waiting times for the Sin Ming and Lorong 4 Toa Payoh projects.
Those details could ultimately determine just how competitive the two developments become.
What is already clear is that Singapore is putting more new public housing into mature estates — and increasingly starting construction before buyers even enter the ballot.
For households determined to live in Bishan, Sin Ming or Toa Payoh, that combination of a desirable location and a waiting period below three years could make these two projects among the BTO launches worth watching most closely.
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