Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced on August 23, 2026, that the income ceiling for Build-To-Order (BTO) flats in Singapore will be raised from S$14,000 to S$16,000 for families, and from S$7,000 to S$8,000 for singles [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. The new income limits also apply to buyers of resale HDB flats using the CPF Housing Grant and Singles Grant [1, 2, 3, 5].
The higher ceilings are expected to expand the pool of eligible buyers, particularly benefitting middle-income families. Kelvin Fong, CEO of PropNex, said the change "will expand the pool of households eligible to purchase new BTO flats, allowing more middle-income families to access subsidised housing" and might boost demand for flats in well-located projects [4].
HDB plans to launch about 19,600 new BTO flats in 2026, exceeding its target of 55,000 flats for 2025-2027 [1, 2, 3, 5]. The upcoming November 2026 BTO exercise will offer around 7,960 flats across seven projects, including 2,500 units in Bayshore (Bedok) and 1,430 flats near Caldecott MRT in Toa Payoh, areas expected to see stronger interest [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].
Resale supply will also grow, with 13,500 flats reaching their minimum occupation period (MOP) allowing resale in 2026; the figure rises to 15,000 in 2027 and 19,500 in 2028 [1, 2, 3, 5].
The income increase may shift buyer preferences towards larger or higher-floor BTO flats priced up to about S$1.2 million. Christine Sun of Realion noted that higher-income buyers could divert demand away from larger, pricier resale flats towards pricier BTO options [1]. A first-time family earning S$16,000 monthly could get bank loans up to S$909,372 for flat purchases [1, 2, 3, 5].
The BTO application rate for November’s sales is expected to range between 3.5 and 4.0, slightly above the 3.4 rate in the June 2026 exercise. Lee Sze Teck of Huttons Asia said if demand rises significantly, BTO supply in 2027 could be increased [4].
Following the August announcement, the next key milestone is the November 2026 BTO sales exercise, when tens of thousands of flats will be offered for application across multiple projects [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].
