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30,000 housing units unveiled in Singapore’s forest town Tengah

Singapore's newest town, Tengah, is taking shape four years after the first flats were offered in 2018. More than half of the 30,000 public housing units in the 700-hectare 'forest town' have been launched, with 18,555 Build-To-Order (BTO) flats across 18 projects available as of the February sales exercise. When completed, Tengah will offer 42,000 new homes, including 30,000 HDB flats and 12,000 private housing units. It is the 24th Housing Board town and the first to be developed since Punggol two decades ago.

Tengah is situated between Jurong East, Choa Chu Kang and Bukit Batok and is adjacent to the upcoming Jurong Lake District to its south and Tengah Air Base in the north. The largely forested area is currently a hive of construction activity, with semi-constructed HDB blocks visible against swathes of greenery. Completion is expected in a few months, after which the first batch of residents will move in.

The estate's first BTO project, Plantation Grove, was launched in November 2018, drawing around 5,000 applicants for the 1,620 two-room flexi, three-room, four-room, five-room and three-generation flats. The second BTO project, Plantation Acres, was launched in May 2019, with a shorter waiting time, and buyers are expected to receive their keys in the second half of 2023.

Tengah has become an attractive option for young couples amid the current housing supply crunch and rising HDB resale flat prices. Application rates range from 1.4 to 4.3, with one to four applicants for each available flat. Median prices for four-room flats across the 18 BTO projects range from $322,500 to $354,500, while those for five-room flats range from $438,500 to $482,000. Twenty percent of the land is reserved for green spaces that will be integrated throughout the town, from a central park to 'community farmways' with gardens and play areas.

A car-free town centre is a key feature of Tengah, with underground roads freeing up the ground level for retail and recreational use, while a bicycle-friendly environment is being created. Residents in some BTO projects can opt for a centralised cooling system, and advanced construction methods are being trialled in two BTO projects that allow for beamless flat design.

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