SINGAPORE: The Housing and Development Board (HDB) launched a total of 9,012 flats on Wednesday (Feb 4) under its February sales exercise, including new projects in Sembawang and Bukit Merah.

The launch of Sembawang Voyage and Redhill Peaks, alongside previously announced projects in Tampines, Toa Payoh and Sembawang, brings the total number of BTO projects offered this month to six, comprising almost 4,700 flats.

Redhill Peaks is the only project under the Prime category in this sales exercise, while Tampines Nova and Kim Keat Crest in Toa Payoh have been classified as Plus projects.

The subsidy clawback rate for Redhill Peaks - the first 1,021 units were launched in the October 2025 BTO exercise - is 12 per cent, and 6 per cent for the other two Plus projects.

Plus and Prime flats, located in more desirable or central areas, have higher subsidies but stricter resale rules and longer 10-year minimum occupation periods (MOPs) to keep public housing fair and inclusive.

The remaining three projects - Sembawang Voyage, Sembawang Deck and Tampines Bliss - come under the Standard classification.

Standard flats come with typical subsidies and a five-year MOP.

About eight in 10 BTO flats on offer this exercise have waiting times of under four years, HDB said.

Another 4,320 Sale of Balance Flats (SBF) units will be offered concurrently as part of this exercise and according to HDB, about one in five of these units have already been completed.

Minister for National Development Chee Hong Tat noted in a Facebook post that this is the first BTO sales exercise of 2026 and that the flats on offer will allow home buyers to get their units faster.

Eligible first-timer families can receive up to S$120,000 through the Enhanced CPF Housing Grant. This means they can buy a three-room Standard flat from S$156,000 or a four-room equivalent from S$224,000..

The Enhanced CPF Housing Grant is also available to eligible first-timer singles who want to purchase two-room Flexi flats.

From the February BTO sales exercise, the Fresh Start Housing Scheme will be extended to eligible first-timer families with children staying in public rental flats to buy flats on a shorter lease. The extension was previously announced by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong in his Budget 2025 speech.

Such families will be able to buy a two-room Flexi or three-room Standard flat on a shorter lease - which is more affordable than those on 99-year leases - and receive the Enhanced CPF Housing Grant of up to S$120,000.

Applications for the February BTO and SBF sales exercises are open from Wednesday until Feb 11 and can be made online via the HDB Flat Portal.

Those applying should plan their finances carefully and choose a suitable flat according to their budget and needs, HDB said.

It also reminded buyers to consider the current Loan-to-Value limit of 75 per cent - the maximum amount that home buyers can borrow from HDB.

"Applicants who wish to improve their chances of securing a flat should monitor the application rates of the different HDB projects throughout the sales exercise and consider applying to projects with lower application rates, such as those with an application rate of one or below."

HDB added that it will offer around 6,900 flats in Ang Mo Kio, Bishan, Bukit Merah, Sembawang and Woodlands in the next BTO exercise in June.

More details on the upcoming projects, including their classification, will be shared during the launch. Around 19,600 BTO flats will be launched this year, including more than 4,000 flats with shorter waiting times of less than three years.