A third of ethnic quota appeals to help sell HDB flats granted in 2025, HDB bought back 5 flats

In his response, Mr Chee said five of the 208 flats were bought back under a scheme to help those with trouble selling their flats due to ethnic quota limits.

Measures to help the other 203 cases included waiving the EIP limit to allow home owners to sell their flats to any ethnic group, and giving owners more time to sell their existing flat if they had bought another one.

Mr Chee said that HDB buying back flats is a last resort, intended to help home owners who have been unable to sell their flats despite their best efforts to do so.

Of the 657 appeals, 164 were from Chinese owners, 140 were from Malay owners and 353 were from owners in the Indian or Others ethnic group. The proportion of approved cases was 15 per cent for Chinese owners, 31 per cent for Malay owners and 40 per cent for the Indian or Others ethnic group.

Introduced in 1989, the EIP sets racial quotas on flat ownership within each HDB block and neighbourhood at the point when a flat is purchased, and subsequently when it is resold.

The EIP buyback scheme,

, allows HDB to buy back flats if home owners meet certain requirements, such as making attempts to sell the unit at a reasonable asking price on the open market for six months.

Owners also have to keep a monthly record of online or print property listings showing the flat’s asking price and listing date, as well as records of flat viewings, and submit them to HDB when seeking help.

If a flat owner is deemed eligible, the flat will be professionally valued. HDB will then determine the buyback price and make an offer.

The Ministry of National Development (MND) said in 2024 that one in three HDB blocks, and 11 per cent of HDB neighbourhoods, have reached their EIP limits.

On Feb 25, Mr Chee said that as at Dec 31, 2025, HDB owns about 100 units that were bought back through the buyback scheme or compulsorily acquired for other reasons. These will be progressively offered for sale under the Sale of Balance Flats exercise and open booking of flats.

MND had previously said that in 2022, HDB

. It had granted 30 per cent, or 128 out of 411 appeals, at the time.