Age requirement for housing grants adjusted for Singaporeans married to non-citizens

The revised Non-Citizen Spouse Scheme now allows you to have more flexibility in affording and choosing a home.

Singaporeans aged 21 and above who are married to non-citizens or non-permanent residents can now have additional housing grants of up to $40,000 when they purchase a resale flat for the first time, reported The Straits Times.

Previously, only those aged 35 and above were eligible for the Enhanced CPF Housing Grant (Singles) grant when they purchased a resale flat under the Non-Citizen Spouse Scheme.

The scheme, which streamlines the Special CPF Housing Grant (SHG) and Additional CPF Housing Grant (AHG), allows a citizen whose husband or wife is neither a permanent resident nor a citizen to purchase a flat.

Such grant will be calculated based on 50% of the couple’s monthly household income, subject to a $4,500 income ceiling.

The income ceiling for the new Enhanced CPF Housing Grant (EHG) is now $9,000, compared to the SHG’s and AHG’s caps of $8,500 and $5,000 respectively.

This new grant also gives couples more flexibility in affording and choosing a home as it has a bigger income cap and does not have any restrictions on the flat location and size.

The EHG, though, comes with a caveat that requires the lease to cover the youngest buyer and the spouse until they are 95 years old (or it will be pro-rated). This is in line with the government’s bid to get people to purchase houses that can last them a lifetime.

According to Nicholas Mak, ERA Realty head of research and consultancy, the lowering of the age criteria for married citizens with a non-citizen spouse may increase demand in the HDB resale market, although purchase prices are not expected to wildly fluctuate as a result.

“I don’t think numbers under this scheme are that huge. Neither would such couples rush out to buy a resale flat so we shouldn’t see much of an effect. However, it does level the playing field and make the rules more equitable for these cross-nationality couples to be able to afford an HDB flat of their choice and start a family earlier,” he said.

Find all resale flats for sale in Singapore, or read our HDB guides to help you with your buying journey.

Victor Kang, Digital Content Specialist at PropertyGuru, edited this story. To contact him about this or other stories, email victorkang@propertyguru.com.sg