378 applicants were from multi-generation families, out of a total of 1,152 applicants for flats in the category.

In the past year, only 3 per cent of five-room flat applicants had applied for a flat to live with their parents under the Married Child Priority Scheme, noted Mr Khaw.

“The launch of 3Gen flats has clearly encouraged more to consider multi-generation living. This is a good sign,” Mr Khaw said in his blog post on Wednesday morning.

In the recent BTO public housing application exercise, 84 3Gen flats in Yishun were made available in a pilot offer.

These flats were grouped together with 260 five-room flats to give applicants an alternative choice if 3Gen flats are no longer available when their turn comes.

Mr Khaw said among the applicants from multi-generation families, two thirds were second-time applicants upgrading to a larger flat for their growing family, and to live with their parents.

Of the first-timer multi-generation families, six in 10 are either expecting or have children below the age of 16.

These families may be currently living with their parents, and can look forward to enjoying more space with a 3Gen flat, said Mr Khaw.

One in 10 of these first-timer households had no children.

“I am happy they are planning ahead to move into a larger flat to better take care of their ageing parents and future children,” he said.

Mr Khaw also said: “As our population ages, family care and support will become increasingly important for the well-being of our seniors.

“They also help to enrich family relations by sharing their experiences, and lending an extra hand in caring for their grandchildren. We should continue to facilitate multi-generation living for Singaporeans who wish to do so.”

Source : Channel NewsAsia – 13 Nov 2013

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National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan revealed this in a blog post on Wednesday evening, saying it is a good start to the new scheme.

His comment comes ahead of the closing of the September Build-To-Order (BTO) exercise at midnight.

He added that the authorities have deliberately bundled 3Gen flats together with five-room flats.

This way, those who could not select a 3Gen flat will have the additional option of choosing a five-room flat.

He said alternatively, applicants could wait for the November BTO exercise, which will include about 100 units of 3Gen flats in Jurong West.

In the September BTO, the authorities have also rolled out another pro-family measure — the enhanced multi-generation priority scheme (MGPS).

This allows parents to apply for three-room flats in addition to a studio apartment or a two-room flat

Mr Khaw said there has been encouraging response from 42 pairs of MGPS applications.

Among the MGPS applications, nine out of 10 parents applied for a three-room flat.

Meanwhile, demand from singles is expectedly high.

As at 5pm on Wednesday, there were about 7,800 applications, compared to the 8,800 in the July BTO exercise.

Mr Khaw said the authorities will ramp up two-room BTO supply in non-mature estates to 5,000 units next year to address demand.

Source : Channel NewsAsia – 2 Oct 2013

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Aris Lee is a potential 3Gen homebuyer who currently lives in a four-room flat with her husband, four children, her mother and a domestic helper.

Ms Lee and her family are looking forward to more living space as they hope to apply for the newly announced 3Gen flats soon.

Ms Lee said: “I was actually quite elated (as) I will be able to transfer my current family into a bigger space.”

The 3Gen flats will be piloted in Yishun in next month’s Build-To-Order (BTO) exercise where 80 units will be made available.

Applicants must form a multi-generation family made up of at least a married or courting couple and their parents to be eligible.

Experts said 3Gen flats will provide the infrastructure for multi-generation families to support each other in childcare and eldercare.

But they also cautioned that family ties will need to be safeguarded because living as extended family may give rise to conflict.

Paulin Straughan, a sociologist and deputy head of the Department of Sociology at the National University of Singapore, said: “The short end of this is you’re talking about different generations with different ideals and different preferences and different aspirations, all housed under the same roof. There’s so much potential for conflict.”

Earlier, some Singaporeans had also raised concerns about the size of the new flats.

A current five-room flat is about 110 square metres, and the 3Gen flats will be slightly bigger, at 115 square metres.

Property analysts said this size is comparable to dual-key executive condominium units.

Christine Li, head of Research & Consultancy at OrangeTee, said: “They are still functional because they have four bedrooms and three bathrooms. There are not many multi-generational flats available in the market and the prices of those flats are quite high.

“We believe that the demand for the BTO will be quite decent, given that buyers do not have to pay for COV (Cash-Over-Valuation) as well as cash downpayment.”

The last time the HDB introduced such flats was in 1987, when 367 multi-generation flats were offered under pilot projects in Bishan, Tampines and Yishun.

But the project was stopped due to the lack of demand.

The older multi-generation flats are generally bigger than the new 3Gen flats that are going to be built.

Nine multi-generation flats have been sold over the last 12 months in the resale market with prices ranging from S$790,000 to S$980,000.

Property analysts, however, said the value of new 3Gen flats may be more limited due to strict resale restrictions.

Source : Channel NewsAsia – 28 Aug 2013

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