The Story Of HDB’s Struggles With The DBSS: Why It Was Doomed To Fail
Get The Property Insights Serious Buyers Read First: Join 50,000+ readers who rely on our weekly breakdowns of Singapore’s property market.
The Design Build And Sell Scheme (DBSS) was first introduced by the then Minister for National Development Mah Bow Tan in 2005. It aimed to involve private developers in the building of public housing to offer buyers with higher incomes a wider variety of housing. DBSS flats do not have full-suite condo facilities, such as pools, gyms, etc. as ECs do. It is simply that the unit interiors have a higher quality of finishing, and are more varied than the standardised HDB floor plans.
More from Stacked
I’m A Retiree With $700k Looking To Settle Down: Is A Dual-Key Condo Or HDB Better?
Hello, Stacked!
The DBSS flats suffered from two major issues in their day: workmanship and pricing.
Workmanship issues are the most relevant to buyers, even today. Unfortunately, some DBSS developments were afflicted by complaints.
In this video, we explore how and why the DBSS project was scrapped.
If you’d like to get in touch for a more in-depth consultation, you can do so here.
Read next from Property Market Commentary
Property Market Commentary 7 Close To TOP New Launch Condos In 2026/27 For Those Looking To Move In Quick
Property Market Commentary Why It’s So Much Harder For Young Singaporeans To Buy A Home Today
Property Market Commentary Which HDB Towns Sold the Most Flats This Year? The 2025 Rankings Reveal Some Surprises
Property Market Commentary The Rare Condos With Almost Zero Sales for 10 Years In Singapore: What Does It Mean for Buyers?
Latest Posts
Pro How Much More Should You Really Pay for a Higher Floor or Sea View Condo?
On The Market 5 Spacious 5-Room HDB Flats Under $600K You Can Still Buy Today
Property Advice I Own A 55-Year-Old HDB Flat, But May Have To Sell — Can I Realistically Buy A Freehold Condo With $700K?
New Launch Condo Reviews Coastal Cabana EC Review: A Unique EC With Sea Views Priced From $1.438M
Landed Home Tours We Toured a Freehold Landed Area Buyers Overlook — It’s Cheaper (and Surprisingly Convenient) From $3.2M
Singapore Property News The Hidden Costs of Smaller Homes in Singapore
Property Advice We Own A 2-Bedder Condo In Clementi: Should We Decouple To Buy A Resale 3 Bedder Or Sell?
On The Market We Found the Cheapest Yet Biggest 4-Room HDBs You Can Buy From $480K
Pro Why This Freehold Mixed-Use Condo in the East Is Underperforming the Market
Singapore Property News 10 New Upcoming Housing Sites Set for 2026 That Homebuyers Should Keep an Eye On
Homeowner Stories I Gave My Parents My Condo and Moved Into Their HDB — Here’s Why It Made Sense.
Singapore Property News Will Relaxing En-Bloc Rules Really Improve the Prospects of Older Condos in Singapore?
Pro Why This Large-Unit Condo in the Jervois Enclave Isn’t Keeping Up With the Market
Singapore Property News A Housing Issue That Slips Under the Radar in a Super-Aged Singapore: Here’s What Needs Attention
Landed Home Tours Inside One of Orchard’s Rarest Freehold Enclaves: Conserved Homes You Can Still Buy From $6.8M