Final 2 pandemic-delayed BTO projects completed, ending wait for residents

Homeowner Alice Park was delighted when she received an email from the Housing and Development Board (HDB) in end-November 2024.

The email informed the 57-year-old childcare teacher that she could finally collect the keys to her Build-To-Order (BTO) two-room flexi flat at Punggol Point Cove. The project had been delayed by about nine to 12 months.

Park is one of the 1,100-odd buyers under phase two of this project, which was put up for sale in 2019.

However, the Covid-19 pandemic had resulted in delays of between six and nine months for this project. A change of contractor in July 2023 led to further delay of about three months, reported The Straits Times then.

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Owners of homes in this phase began collecting the keys to their flats in November 2024.

Park told AsiaOne on Monday (Jan 20) she has been renting a unit to live in while waiting for her BTO unit to be completed, and is looking forward to moving into her new flat in end-February or March.

The two-room flexi units were priced between $109,000 and $173,000 back then, excluding grants.

Punggol Point Cove (Phase Two) comprises 1,179 units across six residential blocks in New Punggol Road and is one of the 92 BTO projects delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic.

It—and another BTO project in Boon Keng called Kempas Residences—are the last two pandemic-delayed projects, which finished completion in January 2025, announced Minister for National Development Desmond Lee during a visit to Punggol Point Cove on Monday.

This means that all 92 BTO projects that were delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic have been completed, he said.

"I'd like to...thank all the home buyers of Covid-19 delayed HDB flats for their forbearance, for their understanding and for the trust these past few years," said Minister Lee, adding that it has been a "very long journey" with numerous challenges brought about by the pandemic.

HDB said there are currently 110 housing projects under construction, an increase from 95 a year ago due to the ramp-up in BTO supply in recent years. 

The housing board said it is on track to complete about 17,000 flats across 27 projects in 2025.

For Kempas Residences, the first blocks were completed in end December, and buyers began collecting their keys in mid-January.

The final block of the project was completed in mid January, a six-month delay from its original Probable Completion Date (PCD), according to HDB.

As of Jan 15, 37 households or about seven per cent of the 555 booked units have collected the keys to their flat.

HDB said it will soon notify remaining flat owners of the blocks completed in January of their key collection date.

Meanwhile, five blocks under phase 2 of Punggol Point Cove were completed last November and December with keys to these flats progressively handed over to buyers starting November.

The final block was completed earlier in January — 12 months after its original PCD, said HDB.

As of Jan 15, 657 households or about 59 per cent of the 1,109 booked units under phase 2 of Punggol Point Cove have collected the keys to their flat.

One of them is 71-year-old Bernard Chan, who just moved into his two-room flexi flat with his wife this January.

He told AsiaOne he has not found any defects in his home or the common space, and is "very satisfied".

Chan added that he likes how each block is spaced apart and also highlighted the "beautiful" scenery—the estate overlooks the waterfront.

In 2024, HDB completed over 18,000 flats across 22 housing projects, of which 17 were delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic.

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lim.kewei@asiaone.com