No sympathy online for young Singaporean family who say BTO delay is about to leave them homeless

SINGAPORE: A young Singaporean family’s plea for help over a delayed Build-To-Order (BTO) flat has sparked little sympathy online, with many netizens arguing that the couple still have housing options available despite their concerns.

In a post shared on the SG Whispers Facebook page, the parents of a five-month-old infant said they were struggling with the prospect of losing their current accommodation while waiting for their BTO flat at Miltonia Breeze, which is scheduled for completion in 2029.

The couple said, “We tried 8 times before successfully getting a BTO and decided to take anything available at that time as we were desperate to have a place of our own after COVID.”

At the time, the couple were living in a two-room flat with the woman’s mother and had not yet started a family. They said they had hoped construction timelines would improve after pandemic-related disruptions eased, but that did not happen.

The family is currently staying in a five-room flat owned by a relative. However, they said the owner was recently retrenched and now needs to reclaim the property in order to generate rental income.

Seeking an alternative, the couple appealed to the Housing and Development Board (HDB) to allow them to forfeit their BTO flat so they could purchase a resale unit instead. According to the post, the appeal was unsuccessful.

“They did not want to waive off the 1-year waiting period and 5% forfeiture fees,” the couple said, adding that the penalties were intended to discourage buyers from giving up their flats, but questioned why exceptions could not be made for families facing genuine housing difficulties.

The couple also sought help from their Member of Parliament, but said the outcome remained unchanged.

Describing the stress of the situation, one of the parents said, “Holding my infant baby and worrying about not having shelter in a few months, I am at a loss of what to do.”

The post ended with a public plea for assistance, with the couple expressing disappointment that they felt “the government is not extending support to helpless parents trying to build a family.”

Singaporeans online, however, appeared largely unconvinced by the family’s argument, pointing out that they were not actually facing homelessness and suggesting that renting would be a practical solution.

A recurring theme in the comments was the observation that the couple had apparently been staying in their relative’s flat rent-free.

“So you’ve been staying at a family member’s flat for free…You can have shelter. Just pay for rent,” one commenter wrote.

Another netizen was even more blunt, saying: “Pay rent lor u expect to stay for free meh…So thick-skinned.”

Several others echoed the same point. “Simple. Pay the rental for the 5-room flat that you have been staying in for free, Lol,” one commenter wrote, while another said, “No matter what, you will have to rent. Just pay rent to your family member. Settle.”

Others questioned why the family could not simply remain in the same flat while paying the owner market rent.

“Rent from your family member, lor. Anyway, you go out also need to pay rent, and they’re looking to rent out too. Win-win solution,” one commenter said.

Another netizen wrote, “Why not rent from your family member while waiting for BTO to be ready?”

“Just rent from the current family member since they are looking for rental income,” one commenter added.

A commenter summed up the sentiment shared by many, writing: “To me, the solution is very simple, rent the 5-room flat from the owner till you get your bto. Think you are in a dilemma because you are currently staying for free and feel that you should not be paying rent because the owner is a ‘family member’.”

Some netizens also suggested alternative housing arrangements, including renting a room elsewhere, returning temporarily to the mother’s two-room flat, or applying for interim rental housing provided by HDB.

One user listed a range of possible options, including renting from the relative, renting a master bedroom, applying for HDB interim rental units, moving back in with family, or even temporarily relocating to Johor to reduce living costs.

Others pointed specifically to HDB’s rental schemes for households waiting for BTO completion.

“I feel you. I know of some other couples in similar situation,” one commenter wrote, “They told me HDB has Rental flats for Singaporeans waiting for BTO. Do you wanna enquire with HDB about Rental flat?”

Another commenter noted that older flats have been made available as interim rental housing for families in similar situations.

They said, “There are interim HDB flats for rent for people in your situation. Such as the en bloc flats at Tanglin Halt. They’ve renovated the flats and even the surroundings and also repainted all the flats so it’s really nice and clean.”

A separate commenter wrote: “If you are waiting for your BTO completion, you can check with HDB for flat rental. They have turned many old flats (renovated) into rental flats for those waiting under BTO.”

Others urged the couple to think carefully before giving up their BTO unit, arguing that doing so could leave them worse off financially.

“The bto flat you had gotten is going to be cheaper than if you were to apply again for a BTO flat in future. So I encourage you not to give up your flat,” one commenter wrote.

The same commenter suggested applying for an HDB rental flat instead, adding that “a 3rm flat (previous housing design in the 80s) should be adequate for a family of 3.”

Another commenter who said they had been in a similar situation advised the family to continue renting and wait for the flat’s completion, warning that switching to a resale flat would likely involve significantly higher purchase and renovation costs.

While a handful of commenters expressed sympathy for the family’s predicament, the overwhelming response was that practical alternatives remained available.

One commenter minced no words and said, “Alamak. Simple and straightforward solution. Pay rent and move on. Period.”