Summary
HDB says there are currently no plans for more Selective En bloc Redevelopment Scheme (SERS) projects, because most of the projects with high redevelopment potential have already been selected.
The scheme that will follow is voluntary and further off. National Development Minister Chee Hong Tat told Parliament on 24 September 2025 that the Voluntary Early Redevelopment Scheme (VERS) will start with a few selected sites, likely in the first half of the next decade, and be scaled up by the late 2030s, when more HDB flats reach the 70-year mark of their 99-year leases. Residents offered VERS could collectively decide not to proceed, he said. A second round of upgrading, HIP II, is planned for flats that pass the 60-year mark. Neither scheme's terms have been published, so buyers of older flats should price the remaining lease and the flat's condition, not a redevelopment payout.
What this means for Singapore buyers and owners
SERS: how it worked, and why it is closing
SERS started in August 1995. HDB describes it as compulsory and highly selective: the government acquires the chosen blocks, and owners can move to a new flat with a fresh 99-year lease. HDB pays compensation based on the flat's market value at the time of the SERS announcement, plus reasonable expenses to help owners move.
HDB says SERS residents are offered a new flat on a fresh 99-year lease at a designated replacement site.
Three schemes compared
| Item | SERS | VERS | HIP II |
|---|---|---|---|
| Status | No more projects planned | Framework being worked out this term of government | Planned; scope not published |
| Flat age | Sites picked for redevelopment potential | 70 years and above | 60 to 70 years |
| Owners' say | Compulsory acquisition | Owners vote | Not yet published |
| Timing | Since August 1995; no more projects planned | A few sites, likely in the first half of the 2030s; scaled up by the late 2030s | For flats that pass the 60-year mark |
| Terms | Market-value compensation, replacement flat, rehousing benefits | Not yet published | Not yet published |
Sources: HDB SERS page (read 5 Nov 2026); Minister for National Development, parliamentary reply, 24 Sep 2025 (Telescope).
VERS: voluntary, gradual and not yet priced
The Minister said VERS is meant to space out the redevelopment of towns where many older blocks were built around the same time, and that MND aims to firm up as many of the policy details as possible during this term of government (parliamentary reply, 24 September 2025). No compensation formula, site list or voting threshold has been published. Until those terms appear, any premium paid for an old flat's VERS prospects rests on assumptions.
HIP II: a second round of repairs
HIP II is planned as a second round of upgrades for flats that pass the 60-year mark, to help older flats last their owners until the end of the lease, the Minister said (parliamentary reply, 24 September 2025). HDB has not yet published the scope, the cost to owners or the polling rules.
The lease still decides how much CPF you can use
CPF Board says buyers can use a pro-rated amount of their CPF savings if a property has a remaining lease of at least 20 years, even if the lease does not cover the youngest buyer to age 95. In its example, two 25-year-old buyers of a S$550,000 flat with 65 years of lease left can use up to S$495,000, or 90% of the price, because the lease lasts until they are 90 (CPF Board, updated 6 July 2026).
Illustration: an older flat's timeline
Illustration only. A 35-year-old buyer looks at a resale flat whose 99-year lease began in 1980.
- Counting from the lease start, the flat is 60 in 2040 and 70 in 2050, the ages the Minister gave for HIP II and VERS.
- The lease ends in 2079, when the buyer would be 88, so CPF use would be pro-rated under CPF Board's rule. CPF Board's housing usage calculator gives the amount.
- No VERS site has been named, so the buyer prices the flat on its 53 remaining years, its condition and its location.
FAQ
Is HDB still announcing SERS sites? HDB says there are currently no plans for more SERS projects.
When does VERS start? The Minister told Parliament it will likely begin with a few selected sites in the first half of the 2030s and be scaled up by the late 2030s.
Who decides whether a block takes up VERS? Owners of flats aged 70 and above will vote on whether the Government should buy back their homes, the Minister said. No voting threshold has been published.
Education only — not tax, legal or investment advice. Check HDB's and CPF Board's current terms before you commit to a flat.
What to do next
- Note the lease start year of any resale flat you view, and work out its age in 2040 and 2050.
- Run CPF Board's housing usage calculator with the youngest buyer's age before you sign an option to purchase.
- Value an older flat on its remaining lease, condition and location; a redevelopment payout is no longer something to count on.
- If your block is in an announced SERS site, check HDB's rehousing options and timelines for your household.
- Talk to a verified property lawyer or financial adviser about lease and CPF questions: https://proprkey.com/en/pros?segment=legalFinance