HDB grants: what you can actually get

The three grants

The Enhanced CPF Housing Grant is the largest and the most sensitive to income: it scales down as household income rises and stops entirely above the ceiling. It applies to both new and resale flats.

The CPF Housing Grant for Resale Flats is fixed by flat size and by the citizenship of the buyers, and — as the name says — applies only to a resale purchase. The Proximity Housing Grant rewards buying near, or with, your parents or children.

Buying resale means all three can apply at once. Buying a new flat means the EHG alone. That difference is worth more than the sticker prices suggest, and for lower-income first-timers it closes much of the gap between the two routes.

Grant amounts verified 2026-08-23 (HDB; NDR 2026 ceilings, effective 24 Aug 2026).

How much, in total

A first-timer citizen couple, buying a four-room or smaller resale flat, living with or near their parents, and earning at the low end, can stack the EHG of up to $120,000, the Family Grant of $80,000, and the Proximity Housing Grant of $30,000 — $230,000 in all.

Very few households qualify for all three at their maximum, because the EHG maximum requires a low income while the flat still has to be affordable on that income. But partial stacking is common, and the amount is large enough that it belongs in the budget from the first day rather than being treated as a rebate that turns up later.

Singles aged 35 and over can buy resale and receive half the EHG and half the Family Grant, subject to the singles income ceiling of $8,000.

The rules that catch people out

Grants are counted per person, not per household, and they are a once-in-a-lifetime entitlement in most cases. Someone who has taken a housing subsidy before — including a previous flat bought from HDB — is a second-timer, receives less, and may owe a resale levy on the next purchase.

Income is assessed as the average gross monthly household income over the twelve months before the application, not this month's payslip. And the assessment is tied to your HDB Flat Eligibility letter: it is the HFE application date that fixes which rules and which ceilings apply to you, which matters enormously in a year when the ceilings move.

Getting the timing right

Apply for the HFE letter before you start viewing. It confirms your eligibility, your grant entitlement and your loan eligibility in one document, sellers increasingly expect to see it, and it takes weeks to come back. Starting it late is the most common way a resale purchase slips by a month for no reason at all.

Common questions

How much can I get in HDB grants?

A first-timer family buying a resale flat can stack the Enhanced CPF Housing Grant, the CPF Housing Grant for Resale Flats and the Proximity Housing Grant. The combined maximum runs into six figures, though it requires a low household income, a smaller flat and living near family.

Can singles get HDB grants?

Yes. Singles aged 35 and over buying a resale flat receive half the family amounts for the EHG and the CPF Housing Grant, subject to the singles income ceiling.

Do grants apply to BTO flats?

Only the Enhanced CPF Housing Grant applies to a flat bought from HDB. The Family Grant and Proximity Housing Grant are for resale purchases.

Which income is used to assess my grants?

Average gross monthly household income over the twelve months before your HDB Flat Eligibility application — not your current month's income.