SINGAPORE — Home seekers will soon have the option of a new type of Housing Board flat without partitions and beams, which creates an open-concept living and bedroom space.

These "white flats" will be piloted in a Build-To-Order (BTO) project in Kallang-Whampoa that will be launched in October, said National Development Minister Desmond Lee on May 27.

HDB said on May 27 that this layout offers home owners a white canvas so they can design and personalise the flat based on their needs and preferences.

The project will include 80 three-room units and 230 four-room flats on a site near Lavender MRT station that is bounded by North Bridge Road and Crawford Street.

In his speech to junior college and other pre-university students at the Pre-University Seminar held at the Ho Bee Auditorium in the National University of Singapore, Lee said this flat type may appeal to couples who wish to have an open-concept home for young children to run around and play, without having to remove walls.

"At a later life stage, when the kids become older, the couple can then choose to re-configure the flat based on their new needs, such as creating bedrooms or re-designing their living spaces," he said.

Lee said young Singaporeans gave feedback during the Forward Singapore exercise that they wanted more flexibility to configure the spaces in their homes based on their needs at different life stages.

"We took this idea back, and worked with our architects and engineers to see what we could do," he said.

HDB said on May 27 that buyers can opt for the white flat layout when they are invited to book a flat. Those who do not opt for this layout will receive the standard layout with walls.

Lee said the Government will keep BTO flats affordable and accessible.

More than eight in 10 first-timer families who bought new or resale HDB flats had a mortgage serving ratio of 25 per cent or less when they collected the keys to their homes, he said. This means they can service their HDB loans using their Central Provident Fund (CPF) contributions, with little or no cash payments.

He added that if young Singaporeans decide to buy a flat shortly after starting work or finishing National Service, they would also get help in the form of a lower initial down payment.

From the BTO sales exercise in June, the upfront down payment for couples eligible for the deferred income assessment will be lowered to 2.5 per cent of the flat price, down from five per cent, under HDB's Staggered Downpayment Scheme.

Lee said the authorities will continue to ensure a good social mix in HDB towns, and that the public housing system is fair and accessible to all Singaporeans.

"That is why we are injecting HDB projects in very attractive locations within Singapore, in areas like the Greater Southern Waterfront, Bukit Timah Turf City and our city centre," he said, noting that priority will be given to those with specific needs, such as first-time applicants or those who wish to live near or with their parents.

In his speech, Lee also addressed the threat of climate change and the effort needed to achieve emission targets and adapt to the changing climate.

He said that people will have to make changes to their way of life, such as moving towards electric vehicles and public transport, while Singapore has to transform to become climate resilient, such as building coastal defences and raising the level of land to protect against rising sea levels.

"These are major transformations which take time, effort and resources to implement. We have to start now and plan carefully for the long term," he said.

He noted that the Long Island project off East Coast — for which public agencies are studying plans to reclaim land tracts around twice the size of Marina Bay in the coming decades — will help to provide coastal protection for the low-lying East Coast area that has high flood risk.

Noting that young adults were concerned about how jobs would look like in the future, Lee said Singapore must continue to be relevant to the world and adopt new technologies and transform to "stay ahead of the curve".

For instance, the National AI Strategy was refined in December 2023 to scale up participation in artificial intelligence research and deployment. Education and training will also be provided to hone an AI-ready workforce.

"There will be strong support along the way to ensure that Singaporeans can be adequately equipped to be professionally relevant," he added.

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This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.