'Just want my own space': Why singles pin their hopes on BTOs despite long waits and low odds
When 36-year-old content creator Fauzi Aziz first started applying for his own home earlier this year, he knew the odds were stacked against him.
He tried to secure a unit in the Sale of Balance Flat (SBF) exercise in July, knowing full well that, as a single, he's at the "bottom of the rung".
Certain schemes will place applicants on a higher priority, such as if one is expecting a first child, has a child under 18, is living close to their parents, or has more than two children.
Before July 2025, only 5 per cent of SBF were allocated for first-timer singles. Under the revised scheme, 2 per cent of this quota will be reserved for first-timer singles under the Family Care Scheme (Proximity), while the remaining 3 per cent will go to other first-timer singles.
Having struck out, he's now waiting for the results of a BTO ballot — which he applied for in October.
For Mr Fauzi, owning a home isn't about prestige. It's about independence. "It's really about finding my own space, and finding my identity," he said.
But like many singles, he is boxed in by affordability.
A resale flat is "not ideal", he said, because it is "obviously going to be more expensive".
He has heard of "horror stories" involving old piping, waterproofing issues and other surprises that could end up being costly to fix. He also expects renovation to be cheaper in a BTO.
Still, he might have no choice but to consider a resale flat if his ballot is unsuccessful.
Renting a flat, however, is "definitely not an option" for him, citing the "exorbitant" prices and the fact that he currently has a comfortable place to stay with his parents.
Mr Fauzi's situation reflects a familiar dilemma — one that HDB data now confirms.
Singles want independence
According to the latest HDB Sample Household Survey, majority of singles favour a brand new unit over a resale flat.
The survey, which polled about 7,000 households and over 1,600 singles across Singapore, found that:
- 82.2% of singles below 35 still live with their families.
- Among those intending to move out, 72.3% prefer to buy rather than rent or live with others.
- And within this group, the majority would rather wait years for a BTO than fork out for resale, citing affordability and newer living environments as factors.
The numbers show what many already feel: affordability is the real gatekeeper.
The Government has been enhancing policies to support the aspirations of singles.
Since October 2024, eligible first-time single applicants aged 35 and older have been able to apply for new two-room flexi flats in Standard, Plus, and Prime projects across all locations in Singapore.
Prior to this, singles could apply for two-room flexi flats only in non-mature estates. However, demand is high and consistently oversubscribed.
For many, like the singles who spoke to Stomp, the decision is a tug-of-war between independence and financial reality.
BTO 'makes the most financial sense'
For 32-year-old engineer Jason Lee, the decision to wait for a BTO is purely practical — it "makes the most financial sense" due to subsidies.
Mr Lee, who is single and living with his family, intends to apply as soon as he turns 35.
Resale is tempting because it offers immediate independence, but he's unwilling to pay the premium required for it, or invest in private housing.
Homeownership, to him, is more about being able to "live life on (his) own terms".
He jokes that there's just one thing that could sway him toward an older resale unit: "better food".
If he had to move to a new environment like Tengah, he quipped, he would "rather stay in an older estate".
Renting, he added, is also hard to justify financially, especially since moving out isn't an immediate priority.
Renting for 'freedom and travel'
Not everyone is waiting to turn 35.
Media professional Dayana Rizal, 30, has been renting a condo room since she was 26, paying about $1,000 a month. She describes the move as "one of the best decisions I made for myself as a young adult".
She had wanted to experience living independently, and to be able to take full responsibility for her own bills and rent without relying on the "shelter and protection" of her parents.
A BTO doesn't fit her plans yet. She and her partner hope to live and work overseas before eventually settling down.
"It's difficult for us to commit to such an expensive purchase, especially since we are chasing other things like freedom and travel," she said.
Still, she admits renting has pitfalls, such as being "at the mercy of your landlord and having to adapt to rules or changes that are beyond her control", such as increases in rent.
She considers herself lucky to have "like-minded" and trustworthy friends as housemates, who made the renting experience more feasible without being "calculative" over shared expenses.
Why BTO still wins: 'Opportunity costs' and identity
Sociologists say preference for housing has little to do with romance and everything to do with economics and identity.
Dr Zheng Mu from the National University of Singapore (NUS) told Stomp that homeownership is widely seen as a "marker of adulthood and financial success".
For many singles, skipping the BTO route means losing a one-time chance at heavy subsidies — a chance that is "gone for good" if not used, she explained.
Public housing policies, she said, reinforce the idea that owning a home is the "correct" path, especially since BTO grants and subsidies are designed to favour owner-occupancy.
NUS sociologist Tan Ern Ser added that owning a subsidised flat offers the potential for "capital gain after the minimum occupation period (MOP)".
Compared with paying rent, using CPF funds to pay a mortgage is seen as a "better option", as it contributes toward owning an asset that could potentially generate returns beyond the MOP, he said.
Furthermore, home ownership, said Dr Zheng, can serve as a "powerful symbol of personal success, financial prudence, and independence", while also enhancing one's "sense of identity and self-worth".
Renting, however, is still "often stigmatised as unstable or temporary, associated with lower status or transience", even if attitudes are slowly shifting.
But as Singapore's single population grows, both experts agree that social norms around homeownership are evolving.
"Singlehood may no longer be an exception, but a significant part of the social, demographic landscape... for which public housing is intended for," said Dr Tan.
