SINGAPORE – Those aged 55 or older will be able to apply for assisted living flats, also known as community care apartments, from the Build-To-Order (BTO) sales exercise in October.
Currently, seniors must be at least 65 years old to buy such flats, which come with senior-friendly fittings and a package of care services which costs about $159 a month.
Fees for these services, which residents must subscribe to, will be reduced by between 18 per cent and 75 per cent.
The changes are part of efforts to expand housing and care options for seniors, alongside the roll-out of Age Well Neighbourhoods, said the Health Ministry, National Development Ministry and Housing Board said in a joint statement on July 13.
The lower age requirement means that from age 55, people can apply for either a two-room flexi flat on a short lease or a community care apartment – giving those who wish to right-size their homes more options to choose from.
The lower eligibility age, which will also apply to community care apartments in Sale of Balance Flat exercises, will also give seniors more time to plan ahead, the statement said.
To date, HDB has launched five projects with such assisted living flats in Bukit Batok, Queenstown, Bedok, Geylang and Sengkang.
In October, about 260 such flats will be on offer in Toa Payoh next to Caldecott MRT station.
Cheaper service fees
To make the basic service package more affordable, the scope of services in community care apartments will be streamlined from 2026.
For apartments already launched for sale, this means monthly fees that are between 18 and 75 per cent cheaper, the statement said. Apartments launched this year or later will have lower fees with the “most streamlined” scope of services.
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