HDB Eligibility Schemes & Grants: Price Trends & Analysis | Homejourney

Understanding HDB Eligibility Schemes and Grants: Price Trends and Market Analysis

If you want to maximise HDB eligibility, CPF housing grants, and schemes like EHG and PHG while riding 2025–2026 price trends safely, you need to understand how policy rules and market data work together. In Singapore’s current market, grants can easily make a S$80,000–S$120,000 difference to your budget, but only if you plan around income ceilings, HFE results, and projected HDB price growth.

This cluster article builds on the main Homejourney pillar guide, “HDB Eligibility Schemes & Grants Guide | Homejourney” , by zooming in on price trends and market analysis. We connect the rules (HDB eligibility, CPF housing grants, EHG, PHG, HDB schemes Singapore) with what is actually happening on the ground in towns like Tampines, Punggol, and Queenstown.

Homejourney’s approach is simple: verify everything against HDB, URA, MAS and official portals, then translate that into clear, real-life strategies for first-timers, upgraders, and investors. We combine official numbers from the HDB Flat Portal, HFE framework and government grant tables with on-the-ground observations of how buyers in estates like Sengkang and Jurong West are using grants to stretch their budgets.[1][4][5]

Key HDB Eligibility Schemes and Grants – Quick Refresher

Before looking at price trends, you need to be clear on the main HDB eligibility schemes and CPF housing grants. These determine whether you can buy, and how much support you get.[1][5]

Core HDB Schemes in Singapore

For both BTO and resale flats, every buyer must qualify under at least one HDB scheme:[1][2][3][5]

Public Scheme – For families (married couples, parent–child, or siblings with parents). At least one Singapore Citizen, plus one Citizen or PR.
Fiancé/Fiancée Scheme – Engaged couples who must register their marriage within 3 months of key collection.
Single Singapore Citizen Scheme – Singles aged 35+ buying alone; typically 2-room Flexi BTO or any resale flat, subject to rules.[1][2]
Joint Singles Scheme – Up to 4 single Singapore Citizens buying together.
Non-Citizen Spouse Scheme – Singapore Citizen with foreign spouse holding a valid visit or work pass.[3]

Insider tip: If you are a single 35-year-old working in the CBD and currently renting a room in Tiong Bahru, a 2-room Flexi BTO in a non-mature estate like Tengah can still be significantly cheaper than a resale 3-room in Queenstown, even after factoring in commuting time on the East–West Line.

Main CPF Housing Grants: EHG, PHG and More

Under current rules, the most important CPF housing grants for HDB buyers are:[1][3][5]

Enhanced CPF Housing Grant (EHG) – Up to around S$80,000–S$120,000 depending on income, for first-timer households with income ≤ S$9,000. Available for both BTO and resale flats, provided the remaining lease covers the youngest buyer to age 95 or more.[1][3]
Proximity Housing Grant (PHG) – Up to S$30,000 if you buy a resale flat to live with your parents or children, or up to S$20,000 if you live within 4km of them.[3][5]
Family and Singles grants – Additional grants layered on top of EHG and PHG for first-timer families and singles buying resale flats.[1][3][5]

Homejourney’s analysis of real cases shows that combining EHG and PHG can shave roughly 20–30% off the effective price of a typical S$450,000 4-room resale flat in towns like Ang Mo Kio or Bedok, assuming the buyers stay within the income ceiling and proximity requirements.[1][3]

How Eligibility and Grants Interact with HDB Price Trends (2025–2026)

From 2022 to 2024, HDB resale prices rose steadily, though the pace has moderated due to cooling measures and the new Plus/Prime framework.[1] Based on recent HDB resale price index trends and government announcements covered by local news Straits Times Housing News , Homejourney expects a more stable, but still firm, price environment going into 2026.

1. Income Ceilings vs Rising Flat Prices

HDB has raised income ceilings for families to around S$14,000 for most BTO flats, and up to S$21,000 for multi-generation households and certain flat categories.[1][2][3][5] This helps middle-income families in estates like Tampines, Bishan and Clementi stay eligible even as launch prices and resale values creep up.

However, grants like EHG still use lower income ceilings (e.g., S$9,000 household income for families and roughly half that for singles).[1][3][5] In practice, this means a dual-income couple living near Jurong East MRT earning S$10,000 per month may qualify for a Plus or Standard BTO flat, but receive lower or no EHG. They must budget more carefully and may lean on bank financing via tools like Homejourney’s bank and mortgage rate comparison page Bank Rates .

2. BTO vs Resale: How Grants Shift the Math

For 2025–2026, BTO launches in areas like Tengah, Woodlands, and Punggol remain priced below nearby resale flats, but supply imbalance and lottery risk push many buyers towards the resale market.[1] This is where HDB eligibility, EHG and PHG heavily influence which towns are still affordable.

Example from the ground: I often see young couples in Sengkang debating between a new BTO in Fernvale versus a 10–15-year-old resale 4-room in Hougang. With EHG and PHG, the resale option—say a S$520,000 unit near Hougang MRT—can effectively fall by S$60,000–S$90,000 in net cost. But they must sustain higher monthly instalments immediately, unlike a BTO, which has a longer construction and payment timeline.

To compare options safely, Homejourney recommends checking current project prices and historical transacted data via the projects directory Projects Directory , and then cross-checking your grants using your HFE letter from the HDB Flat Portal.[1][4]

3. Plus / Prime Flats and Long-Term Value

New Plus and Prime flats in central locations like Queenstown, Kallang/Whampoa, and future Greater Southern Waterfront towns come with stricter resale and renting conditions but are heavily subsidised at launch.[1][3] Income ceilings and tighter eligibility rules filter buyers to those who genuinely intend long-term own-stay.

From an investor’s perspective, Homejourney’s stance is cautious: these flats may enjoy strong location value, but longer MOP periods and tighter resale conditions limit speculative upside. If your primary strategy is capital appreciation, older resale flats in mature towns (e.g., Toa Payoh, Ang Mo Kio) or younger estates with growth catalysts (e.g., Jurong Lake District) may offer better flexibility, as long as you understand MOP rules and past price trends Projects . Complement this article with our MOP-focused series: HDB MOP Rules Explained: Price Trends & Analysis | Homejourney .

Loan Rules, CPF Usage and Affordability in 2026

Even with generous CPF housing grants, your purchase is constrained by loan limits and affordability rules set by MAS and HDB.[1][2][4]

HFE Letter, LTV, MSR and TDSR

Since the introduction of the HDB Flat Eligibility (HFE) letter, every BTO or resale buyer must obtain an HFE before applying.[1][2][4] The HFE consolidates your eligibility for: