MR GHEE Soo Kee had previously enjoyed a housing subsidy when
his wife sold a subsidised flat last year ("Looking for home to
start a family"; March 11).
Hence, Mr and Mrs Ghee are considered second-timers in their HDB
flat applications. They have applied for flats under the Sale of
Balance Flats Exercise and Build-To-Order (BTO) projects at Dawson
Estate and Waterway Terraces at Punggol, where the chances of
success are slim, even for first-timers, due to their high
popularity. They have also appealed for direct allocation of a new
flat in the Redhill area, a move which HDB rejected as it would not
be fair to other flat buyers.
Based on their household income, and the sale proceeds from Mrs
Ghee's previous flat, they should be able to afford a resale flat
in the open market if they need a home urgently. Mr Ghee could also
check with HDB if he is eligible for the CPF Half Housing Grant for
the purchase of a resale flat with his wife, if he has not
previously enjoyed any housing subsidy.
Tay Koon Quie
Deputy Director (Sales)
Housing & Development Board
