Can I get grants if I am buying a resale flat with my parents?

Possibly, through the Proximity Housing Grant for living together, and the family grants if you are a first-timer. Check the HFE assessment and the separate resale-stage declarations, including your request for the Proximity Housing Grant.

Do I apply for the grant before or after finding a flat?

Before. The HFE letter must be valid when the seller grants you the Option to Purchase, and the letter is where the grants are assessed.

Is a grant free money?

It is a subsidy paid into your CPF and used for the flat. When you later sell, the grant plus accrued interest returns to your CPF account, and having taken it affects future subsidised purchases and the resale levy.

CPF housing grants for HDB resale buyers: which ones exist and who qualifies

Apply for an HDB Flat Eligibility letter before starting your purchase. Grant eligibility depends on your household and flat; use the approved letter for your actual budget.

7 min read · Figures checked 21 September 2026 · By Michelle Lee Ling Ching, CEA R009798I

Resale grants for singles

If you are buying as a single, use HDB’s singles eligibility guidance rather than a family grant headline. Check the applicable buying scheme, citizenship, age, income and property-ownership conditions. Your eligibility and grant amount depend on your circumstances; do not assume that every single buyer receives the same support.

Housing grants for first-time buyers

First-time buyers should check the route that matches their household. Couples and families have separate HDB guidance from singles. Start with the official eligibility assessment and your HFE letter, then check any conditions attached to the particular resale flat. Treat an advertised maximum grant as a ceiling, not an amount already approved for you.

First, the document that decides everything

Before you can be granted an Option to Purchase on a resale flat, you need a valid HDB Flat Eligibility letter, known as the HFE letter. You apply on the HDB Flat Portal with your household's income and CPF details. HDB replies with one letter that states whether you can buy, which grants you qualify for and how much, and how large an HDB loan you can take. The letter is valid for nine months. Sellers and agents will ask for it before taking an offer seriously, so apply for it before you start viewing, not after you find a flat.

The grants, in plain terms

HDB groups resale grants by household type. The names below are the current ones; the amounts move with policy, so treat any figure you read elsewhere as dated until you see it on your own HFE letter.

CPF Housing Grant for resale flats

Often called the Family Grant. This is the base grant for first-timer families buying a resale flat. The amount depends on the flat size and whether one or both of you are first-timers. There is a separate version for singles buying alone, and a half-grant structure for a first-timer buying with a second-timer.

Enhanced CPF Housing Grant

The EHG is the income-tiered grant: the lower your household income, the larger the amount, down to zero above the ceiling. It applies to new and resale flats. For resale, you must first qualify for the CPF Housing Grant above, and the flat must have enough remaining lease to cover the youngest buyer to age 95, or the grant is reduced.

Proximity Housing Grant

The PHG rewards living with or near parents or children. Living together earns the higher tier; buying within a set distance earns the lower tier. It is the one resale grant that does not require you to be a first-timer, so second-timers moving closer to family should always check it. It can be claimed once per household.

Step-Up CPF Housing Grant

For specific second-timer families moving from a smaller subsidised flat to a larger one, with conditions on income and flat type. Narrow, but worth checking if you are upgrading from a 2-room flat.

Rules that catch buyers out

First-timer means neither of you has taken a housing subsidy before. Owning a resale flat bought without a grant does not use up first-timer status; a previous grant or a subsidised flat does.
Income is assessed over a period before your application, not on your latest payslip. A recent raise or bonus can push you over an EHG tier.
Grants are credited to your CPF Ordinary Account and used toward the purchase. They are not cash in hand, and they attract accrued interest that is refunded to CPF when you sell.
Buying with a grant usually means a Minimum Occupation Period before you can sell, and the grant counts as a subsidy for any future purchase.
The lease-to-95 rule: if the flat's remaining lease will not cover the youngest buyer to age 95, CPF usage and some grants are pro-rated. Older flats need this check before you fall in love with them.

How grants change your budget

Start with the HFE letter: it gives your maximum HDB loan and your grant total.
Add the CPF Ordinary Account balance you are willing to use, plus the grant amount, plus cash. That is your total funds.
Subtract Buyer's Stamp Duty, legal fees, and a buffer for cash over valuation. What remains is the price you can actually pay.
Shortlist flats at or below that number, then check the remaining lease against the lease-to-95 rule before viewing.

Common questions

Sources

Written by

Michelle Lee Ling Ching

Michelle Lee Ling Ching · CEA Registration Number: R009798I · ERA Realty Network Pte Ltd · CEA Licence Number: L3002382K · Tel: +65 9680 1106

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