Southeast Asia Information Port (www.dnyxxg.com) – Singapore's Housing and Development Board (HDB) will further expand its "Joint Singles Scheme" and "Single Room Shared Facilities" schemes to provide more rental flats for single individuals and improve housing security support.
This initiative was revealed during the Parliamentary Appropriations Committee's debate on the Ministry of National Development's budget on Wednesday (March 4). Dr. Syed Harun, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Education and National Development, stated during the debate that single individuals currently account for up to 40% of HDB rental flat tenants, and the expansion of these schemes will precisely address the housing needs of this group.
The "Joint Singles Scheme" requires single applicants to find a joint applicant before jointly submitting a rental application to the HDB. To address the difficulty some individuals face in finding roommates, the authorities added a new service option in December 2021, entrusting social service agencies to assist in matching roommates. These agencies also coordinate tenancy matters and mediate tenant disputes, providing convenience for applicants.
Another scheme, the "Single Room Shared Facilities Scheme," is designed with a dormitory concept and was first piloted in 2024 at the former Anderson Serangoon Junior College student dormitory site. Under this scheme, tenants can enjoy an independent room while sharing common facilities such as toilets, kitchens, laundry rooms, and activity rooms with other tenants. In October 2025, the scheme was expanded for the first time, with the Housing & Development Board (HDB) adding such shared facilities rental flats in the Chencharu Build-to-Order (BTO) project in Yishun.
Sayed Haron pointed out that both rental schemes cater to the different housing preferences of single individuals and have received positive social feedback since their launch. The authorities will continue to increase the supply of both types of rental units, with further details to be announced later.
Furthermore, Syed Haron emphasized that the Housing Development Board's Home Ownership Support Team will continue to fully assist rental flat families in achieving their homeownership goals. Data shows that over 2,000 rental flat families submitted Build-To-Order (BTO) flat applications in 2025 and are currently awaiting unit completion.
Notably, the Housing Development Board has launched integrated BTO flat projects that include rental units in recent years. Eight projects have been completed, and another 36 are under construction. Syed Haron revealed that these integrated projects will provide a total of 6,300 rental flat units over the next five years, potentially further shortening waiting times for applicants. Currently, the average waiting time for rental flats is 3 months, a significant improvement from the 11 months that surged during the COVID-19 pandemic.
