CPF housing grants for resale flats

CPF housing grants for HDB resale flats, how much can you stack?

9 min read Verified against hdb.gov.sg, 7 April 2026 No agent affiliation

First-timer families buying an HDB resale flat in Singapore can stack up to $190,000 in CPF housing grants: the CPF Housing Grant, the Enhanced CPF Housing Grant (EHG), and the Proximity Housing Grant (PHG). First-timer singles aged 35 and above can stack up to $115,000. Every dollar is credited to your CPF Ordinary Account and reduces the amount you need to finance, not cash in your pocket. This page breaks down who qualifies for what, how the income ceilings work, how the three grants interact, and where the amounts come from, all sourced from hdb.gov.sg and cpf.gov.sg. Your HFE Letter states the exact figures for your household; this page explains the rules behind those figures.

The short version

Three grants that stack

CPF Housing Grant, up to $80,000 for 4-room or smaller (families), $50,000 for 5-room or bigger, $40,000 / $25,000 for singles.
Enhanced CPF Housing Grant (EHG), up to $120,000 for families, $60,000 for singles. Tiered by monthly income. Income ceiling: $9,000/mo family, $4,500/mo single.
Proximity Housing Grant (PHG), up to $30,000 for families, $15,000 for singles, when buying within 4 km of an immediate family member's home.
First-timer family maximum stack: $190,000. First-timer single (35+) maximum stack: $115,000.
Current EHG ceiling of $120,000 is effective from 20 August 2024. Family Grant was last raised on 14 February 2023.

The three grants for first-timer families

CPF Housing Grant (Family)

Up to $80,000 / $50,000 No income ceiling First-timer families

The CPF Housing Grant for Families is the base layer of the resale grant stack. Every first-timer family citizen household qualifies, regardless of income, there is no income ceiling on this grant. The amount depends on the size of the flat you are buying:

$80,000, when buying a 2-room, 3-room or 4-room flat
$50,000, when buying a 5-room, Executive, or larger flat

These amounts have been in force since 14 February 2023 at 3:30pm, when HDB raised them from the previous $50,000 / $40,000 structure. To count as a first-timer family, at least one applicant must be a Singapore Citizen, the other must be Singapore Citizen or Permanent Resident, and neither must have previously received a housing subsidy from HDB.

Source: HDB, CPF Housing Grant (Families)

Enhanced CPF Housing Grant, EHG (Family)

Up to $120,000 Income ceiling: $9,000/mo Tiered by income

The Enhanced CPF Housing Grant (EHG) is the largest single grant. It is available to first-timer families buying a new or resale flat, provided the household meets the income ceiling and employment conditions. The maximum amount was raised from $80,000 to $120,000 with effect from 20 August 2024.

The amount is tiered by average gross monthly household income, calculated over the 12 months preceding the application. The endpoints are:

$120,000, when average monthly household income is $1,500 or lower
$5,000, when average monthly household income is between $8,501 and $9,000
$0, when average monthly household income exceeds $9,000 (the ceiling)

Between the two endpoints, the grant decreases in $5,000 tiers as income rises in $500 increments. The full tier table is published on the HDB EHG page, check it for your exact bracket.

Employment condition: at least one applicant must have been in continuous employment for the 12 months immediately before the HFE application, and must still be working at the point of application.

Source: HDB, EHG (Families)

Proximity Housing Grant, PHG (Family)

Up to $30,000 Distance: within 4 km Resale only

The Proximity Housing Grant (PHG) rewards first-timer families who buy a resale flat close to an immediate family member. For families, the amount is $30,000 if you buy a flat within 4 kilometres of the flat where an immediate family member (parent, parent-in-law, child or sibling) currently lives.

The 4 km measurement is straight-line from block to block, and HDB runs an official PHG distance check tool that confirms whether a specific target flat qualifies. Use it before you commit to a flat, not after.

The PHG is only available for resale flats, not BTO or Sale of Balance Flats. There is no income ceiling on the PHG. A family that already qualifies for the Family Grant and EHG can add the PHG on top if the flat they are buying happens to be within 4 km of the right relative.

Source: HDB, PHG (Families)

Grants for first-timer singles (age 35 and above)

Singapore Citizen singles aged 35 and above buying an HDB resale flat under the Single Singapore Citizen Scheme can claim the singles-tier equivalent of each grant. The amounts are exactly half of the family-tier amounts, and the income ceilings are lower.

Grant	Maximum amount	Key condition
CPF Housing Grant (Singles)	$40,000 / $25,000	$40,000 for 2-room to 4-room, $25,000 for 5-room and bigger. First-timer single, age 35+.
EHG (Singles)	Up to $60,000	Average monthly income $4,500 or lower when buying alone. $9,000 when buying with other singles or with parents.
PHG (Singles)	Up to $15,000	Resale flat within 4 km of immediate family.
Maximum stack (single buyer)	Up to $115,000	First-timer, EHG-eligible, PHG-qualifying

EHG (Singles) is tiered the same way as EHG (Families). The maximum $60,000 is awarded when average monthly income is $750 or lower, scaling down to $2,500 at the top bracket ($4,251–$4,500).

Two singles buying together: when two first-timer singles jointly buy a resale flat under a joint singles scheme, each can claim their own EHG (Singles), for a combined EHG of up to $120,000. The EHG income ceiling for each applicant is raised to $9,000 per month in this scenario.

First-timer and second-timer couple: if one applicant is a first-timer and the other has previously received a housing subsidy, the couple's combined income ceiling for EHG purposes is effectively halved, the combined household must be at or below $4,500 per month on a 12-month average.

Source: HDB, EHG (Singles)

How the grants stack in practice

The three grants are cumulative. A household that qualifies for all three can add them together. Below is the maximum stack for each buyer profile, with the caveats that apply in real life.

Buyer profile	Family Grant	EHG max	PHG max	Total
First-timer family, 4-room or smaller	$80,000	$120,000	$30,000	$190,000
First-timer family, 5-room or bigger	$50,000	$120,000	$30,000	$160,000
First-timer single, 2-room to 4-room	$40,000	$60,000	$15,000	$115,000
First-timer single, 5-room or bigger	$25,000	$60,000	$15,000	$100,000

The maximum EHG is awarded only at the lowest income tier. A family earning $8,500 per month on average gets the same Family Grant and PHG as a family earning $2,000 per month, but their EHG is much smaller because of the income-tier scaling. The $190,000 headline is therefore a ceiling, not a typical amount.

Important rules to understand

Grants go to CPF, not to cash. All CPF housing grants are credited directly to your CPF Ordinary Account. You do not receive them as cash. They reduce the amount you need to finance through a loan, not the amount of cash you need up front.

The HFE Letter tells you the exact amounts. Your HDB Flat Eligibility (HFE) Letter states the exact grant amounts you qualify for, based on your household's actual income, composition, and flat type. You should not rely on your own estimate of the grant, use the HFE figure.

Grants are a first-timer benefit. If any applicant in the household has previously received a housing subsidy from HDB (BTO, SBF, DBSS, EC from developer, or any prior grant), the household's first-timer status is affected. A first-timer and second-timer couple faces a reduced combined income ceiling for EHG purposes. Two second-timers do not qualify for EHG or PHG.

Income is measured over 12 months. EHG uses the average gross monthly household income over the 12 months immediately before the HFE application. A short period of higher or lower income is averaged into the figure. Use the CPF contribution history from your CPF statements to sanity-check your own calculation.

The 20 Aug 2024 changes and the 14 Feb 2023 changes are in force. If you are reading older guides, check the dates, many pre-2024 articles still quote the old $80,000 EHG cap or the old $50,000 Family Grant, which no longer apply.

Common questions about HDB grants

What is the maximum grant amount a first-timer family can get on a resale flat?

Up to $190,000, stacked across three grants: the CPF Housing Grant ($80,000 for 4-room or smaller, $50,000 for 5-room or bigger), the Enhanced CPF Housing Grant (up to $120,000, income-tiered, capped at $9,000 per month average gross household income), and the Proximity Housing Grant ($30,000 when buying within 4 km of an immediate family member). The headline $190,000 is the ceiling, not the typical amount, households at higher income tiers get a smaller EHG.

What is the income ceiling for the Enhanced CPF Housing Grant (EHG)?

For first-timer families, the ceiling is an average gross monthly household income of $9,000, calculated over the 12 months immediately before the HFE application. For first-timer singles buying alone, the ceiling is $4,500 per month. Singles buying together with other singles or with parents are assessed under the $9,000 ceiling instead. The $120,000 maximum EHG (families) is awarded only at the lowest income tier, the grant decreases in $5,000 steps as income rises in $500 increments.

How does the Proximity Housing Grant (PHG) work?

The PHG gives first-timer families $30,000 (or $15,000 for singles 35+) when buying a resale flat within 4 km of an immediate family member's home. Immediate family is defined as parent, parent-in-law, child, or sibling. The 4 km is a straight-line block-to-block measurement, and HDB runs an official distance check tool on hdb.gov.sg that confirms whether your target flat qualifies before you commit.

Can two first-timer singles buying together each claim their own EHG?

Yes. Two first-timer singles jointly buying a resale flat can each claim EHG (Singles), up to $60,000 each, for a combined maximum of $120,000. When buying with other singles or with parents, the EHG (Singles) income ceiling per applicant is raised from $4,500 to $9,000 per month, matching the family ceiling.

What grants can a first-timer single buyer get?

A first-timer single Singapore Citizen aged 35 or above can stack up to $115,000 on a resale flat: CPF Housing Grant ($40,000 for 2-room to 4-room, $25,000 for 5-room or bigger), EHG (Singles, up to $60,000, income-tiered), and PHG ($15,000 within 4 km of immediate family). All singles amounts are exactly half of the family-tier equivalents.

When was the EHG maximum raised to $120,000?

On 20 August 2024, as part of a package of measures to cool the HDB resale market and provide more support for first-time home buyers. Before that, the EHG maximum for families was $80,000. The CPF Housing Grant for resale flats was last raised on 14 February 2023 at 3:30pm, from $50,000 to $80,000 (4-room or smaller) and from $40,000 to $50,000 (5-room or bigger). If you are reading older articles, check the dates, many pre-2024 guides still quote the old figures.

Sources and verification

All facts on this page were checked against the above sources on 7 April 2026. HDB grant amounts, income ceilings and eligibility rules do change, if you are about to act, click through to the official source and verify against the figure on your HFE Letter.