MND's Addendum to the President's Address

The Ministry of National Development (MND) will continue to ensure that we develop sustainably, build an endearing home and a distinctive global city, and meet the diverse aspirations of Singaporeans.

Engaging Singaporeans in our vision for Singapore

Through the Long-Term Plan Review and the Forward Singapore exercise, we engaged over 30,000 Singaporeans to understand their values, hopes, and concerns for the future, including what a refreshed social compact for public housing should look like.

We will update our housing and planning strategies to reflect the concerns and aspirations of our time. These strategies will be translated into detailed land use and development plans for the next ten to fifteen years in the upcoming Master Plan review.

The next chapter of our Housing Story

While the construction sector was severely disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, we have made good progress to get back on track. Across the Housing & Development Board (HDB)’s Build-To-Order programme and private residential developments, there will be almost 40,000 home completions in 2023, and close to 100,000 by 2025. We will continue to maintain a steady pipeline to meet housing demand, and adjust our policies as necessary to keep the property market stable and sustainable.

Our public housing programme has enabled 8 in 10 Singaporean households to live in HDB flats today. We must continue to update our public housing programmes and policies as our city develops and society matures. Nearly one in four Singaporeans will be 65 years and older by 2030. We also have more singles and caregivers in our society, and more young Singaporeans aspire to live independently. In addition, our public housing estates and HDB flats are ageing. Many non-mature estates have also become much more well-developed over time.

• We will refresh our social compact on housing, so that housing continues to be affordable and accessible, and our estates remain inclusive, cohesive, and sustainable.

• We are committed to supporting families. We will help young married couples and families with children buy their very first home.

• We will keep public housing inclusive, including in our prime areas. We will continue to launch flats under the Prime Location Public Housing model.

• We will pair housing with proactive social support to uplift lower income families and help them move towards home ownership.

• We will develop a range of housing options and provide stronger support for singles, seniors, as well as persons with disabilities

• We will design and build estates to forge strong communities, bring Singaporeans closer together, and integrate how we live, work, and play.

• We will rejuvenate and upgrade existing housing estates to improve the quality of our living environment.

• We will work together with Singaporeans to promote social norms in our neighbourhoods that reflect our values of mutual respect and care for one another.

Ultimately, our new social compact on housing represents a consensus among Singaporeans on our priorities as a nation and how we should allocate finite land and limited resources to meet growing aspirations. We must also set aside enough land and resources for future generations, to meet their aspirations and needs.

Empower Singaporeans to seize opportunities

MND will continue to plan boldly for the long-term, carefully balancing different needs and executing detailed plans to keep our city-state green, vibrant, and inclusive. We will embark on big moves and create more space by transforming the Greater Southern Waterfront and relocating Paya Lebar Airbase so that new and sustainable towns can be built.

We will continue to make concerted efforts to retain and weave in our uniquely Singaporean identity as we develop Singapore. We have evolved from a “Garden City” to a “City in a Garden”, and now aspire to be a City in Nature, where native flora and fauna thrive amid a flourishing, urban metropolis. We will secure and extend our natural capital for generations to enjoy, and continue to build a productive and vibrant city, while strengthening the distinctive character and heritage of our towns and neighbourhoods. We will design our districts to connect with our shared memories of the area, which amplifies our Singaporean identity and provides residents with a sense of belonging, ownership, and community.

We will plan for a range of possibilities as far ahead as possible, and introduce greater flexibility and optionality in our land use plans, so we can respond nimbly to crises and challenges. By carefully pacing out development plans, we can also better respond to changes in land use needs. To protect our city from the effects of climate change, we will deploy both infrastructure and nature-based solutions.

These plans need to be supported by a strong and progressive built environment sector. The refreshed Built Environment Industry Transformation Map reflects our resolve to design, construct, and maintain our buildings in a more productive and sustainable manner, while strengthening our resilience against future challenges. We will support the growth of stronger firms with deeper capabilities, reduce our reliance on foreign manpower, and streamline regulatory processes. We will also ramp up efforts to reduce building emissions as we move towards our national climate target of net zero emissions by 2050.

Our future home

We will continue to partner Singaporeans to ensure that Singapore remains a distinctive and thriving city, with inclusive neighbourhoods and endearing homes for all Singaporeans.

In this term of Government, the Ministry of National Development (MND) will continue the work to make our city and our homes more green, liveable, and sustainable, in order to support the diverse aspirations of Singaporeans today and in the future. But we recognise that COVID-19 has significantly impacted our lives and our livelihoods as well as the way we live, work, and play. Some of these changes are short-term, while others may be permanent structural shifts. Most importantly, we seek to be responsive and agile in tackling these challenges together.