SINGAPORE: The Housing Board has relaxed the rules on flat
purchases by citizens with foreign spouses.
Citizens with spouses who are non-citizens or non-Singapore
Permanent Residents, can now use the Singles Grant for a purchase
if they are 21 years and above.
They used to have to be at least 35 years old to do this.
The rule will apply to anyone whose spouse holds a long-term social
visit pass of at least six months.
They can also buy a flat of any size, instead of just small flats
with 3 rooms or less.
If their marriages are registered from Tuesday onwards, couples
eligible for the Singles Grant can also apply for the CPF Housing
Top-Up grant scheme.
Once a foreign spouse or child becomes a Singapore citizen or PR,
households can top up the Singles Grant to the prevailing Family
Grant.
The top-up grant can be used to repay the housing loan for the
current flat or to buy another resale flat.
With the changes, eligible non-citizen spouses whose flats go under
the Selective En Bloc Redevelopment (SERS) scheme from Tuesday,
will be allowed to buy a replacement flat with up to 4 rooms.
They'll get a 30 percent price discount up to $11,000 to do this. -
NewsRadio 93.8