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News · HDB & BTO · 21 Sep 2026

November 2026 BTO launch: all 7 projects, 7,970 flats, and which one to pick

HDB’s last BTO exercise of 2026 covers Bedok, Geylang, Sembawang, Tengah, Toa Payoh and Yishun. More than half the flats are in mature towns, three projects sit within 300m of an MRT station, and the income ceiling has just gone up to $16,000. The part most people will miss is the date: HDB wants your HFE documents in by 25 September.

By Law Viona · CEA Reg. No. R055553G · PropNex Realty · Published 21 Sep 2026

HFE letter: HDB advises submitting all documents by 25 Sep 2026 to take part.

WhatsApp Viona How the HFE letter works

I usually reply within the hour, 9am–9pm.

The short version. HDB’s next Build-To-Order exercise is in November 2026, moved from October. HDB’s flat portal lists seven projects and 7,970 flats: two in Bedok at Bayshore (1,640 and 860), Yishun near Khatib (1,580), Toa Payoh beside Caldecott (1,430, including Community Care Apartments), Sembawang (1,310), Tengah (710) and Geylang near Mattar (440).

Before you do anything else: you need a valid HFE letter to apply, and HDB advises submitting your HFE application with every document by 25 September 2026. The family income ceiling is now $16,000 (singles 35 and above: $8,000). Toa Payoh is expected to be Prime and the Bedok pair Plus, which means a 10-year MOP and a clawback on resale — HDB confirms this only at launch.

I have been selling HDB flats and helping families upgrade out of them for more than eleven years, and the question I get every time a BTO exercise is announced is the same: which one should we go for, and should we even bother? This page is my attempt to answer that properly for November 2026 — the facts first, straight from HDB, and then my read, clearly labelled as mine.

A word on the numbers. The unit counts and flat types below come from HDB’s own project pages. HDB marks them “preliminary and may be subject to change”, and it does not publish prices, classifications or completion dates until launch day. Where I quote a classification, I say it is expected, not confirmed.

7,970

Flats across 7 projects

55%

In Bedok, Geylang or Toa Payoh

$16,000

New family income ceiling

25 Sep

HFE documents in by

At a glance

The seven November 2026 BTO projects

Here is everything HDB has published so far, in one table, plus one number HDB does not give you: how far each site is from its nearest MRT station. I measured that myself, in a straight line, from the site coordinates on HDB’s project pages. Walking distance will be longer.

November 2026 BTO projects · Units and flat types: HDB Flat Portal, retrieved 21 Sep 2026 (preliminary). MRT distance: my straight-line measurement from HDB’s site coordinates.

Project Flat types Units Nearest MRT Expected class
Bedok · Bayshore (larger) mature town 2-room Flexi, 3-room, 4-room 1,640 Bayshore (TE29), ~90m Plus
Yishun · near Khatib 2-room Flexi, 3-room, 4-room, 5-room 1,580 Khatib (NS14), ~660m Standard
Toa Payoh · Caldecott mature town Community Care Apartment, 2-room Flexi, 4-room 1,430 Caldecott (CC17/TE9), ~170m Prime
Sembawang · north of Sembawang MRT 2-room Flexi, 3-room, 4-room, 5-room 1,310 Sembawang (NS11), ~1.1km Standard
Bedok · Bayshore (smaller) mature town 2-room Flexi, 4-room 860 Bayshore (TE29), ~100m Plus
Tengah 2-room Flexi, 3-room, 4-room, 5-room, 3Gen 710 Tengah Park (JRL, not yet open), ~400m Standard
Geylang · near Mattar mature town 2-room Flexi, 4-room 440 Mattar (DT25), ~280m Unconfirmed
Total Only Sembawang, Tengah and Yishun offer 5-room; only Tengah offers 3Gen. 7,970 Three sites within 300m of an open line HDB confirms at launch

Swipe to see the full table →

“Expected class” is the consensus of market previews, not an HDB statement. Geylang is marked unconfirmed because previews disagree on it. The 7,970 total is the sum of HDB’s project pages; the figure announced at the National Day Rally was “around 7,960”.

Flats per project, coloured by expected classification · Source: HDB Flat Portal, 21 Sep 2026 (preliminary)

Prime Plus Standard Unconfirmed Bedok · Bayshore (larger) Bedok Bayshore, larger project: 1,640 flats, expected Plus 1,640 Yishun · Khatib Yishun near Khatib: 1,580 flats, expected Standard 1,580 Toa Payoh · Caldecott Toa Payoh at Caldecott: 1,430 flats including Community Care Apartments, expected Prime 1,430 Sembawang Sembawang: 1,310 flats, expected Standard 1,310 Bedok · Bayshore (smaller) Bedok Bayshore, smaller project: 860 flats, expected Plus 860 Tengah Tengah: 710 flats, expected Standard 710 Geylang · Mattar Geylang near Mattar: 440 flats, classification unconfirmed 440 Total 7,970 flats · classes are expectations until HDB confirms

Swipe to see the full chart →

Bedok alone supplies 2,500 flats, nearly a third of the exercise, all of it at one MRT station. If the Plus classification holds, about 4,000 of the 7,970 flats come with a 10-year MOP.
Project by project

What each site is really offering

The facts in each card are HDB’s. The last paragraph of each is my read, and I have tried to say who the project suits rather than which one is “best”, because the right answer depends entirely on your household.

Expected Plus

Bedok · Bayshore (two projects)

Units
1,640 + 860 = 2,500
Flat types
2-room Flexi, 3-room, 4-room (larger); 2-room Flexi, 4-room (smaller)
Nearest MRT
Bayshore (TE29), ~90–100m

Both sites are practically on top of Bayshore station on the Thomson–East Coast Line, in the new waterfront precinct between East Coast Park and the Upper East Coast landed estates. Previous Bayshore BTOs were classified Plus, and previews expect the same here.

My read: the strongest location in the exercise for a young couple who work in the city and plan to stay a decade. The trade-off is the Plus rules — no 5-room, no renting out the whole flat, and a clawback when you sell. If you think you might upgrade to a condo in six or seven years, this is the wrong flat for you.

Expected Prime

Toa Payoh · Caldecott

Units
1,430
Flat types
Community Care Apartment, 2-room Flexi, 4-room
Nearest MRT
Caldecott (CC17/TE9), ~170m

An interchange on the Circle and Thomson–East Coast lines, a short hop to Novena and Orchard, in one of Singapore’s oldest and best-served towns. It includes Community Care Apartments — assisted-living flats for seniors aged 65 and above, with care services bundled in.

My read: the headline project, and I expect it to be the most oversubscribed 4-room of the exercise. It is also the only one I would call a genuine alternative to a city-fringe condo on location alone. The Prime rules are the price of that: a 10-year MOP and the highest subsidy recovery. For a family who wants to put down roots near parents in central Singapore, it is hard to beat.

Unconfirmed

Geylang · near Mattar

Units
440
Flat types
2-room Flexi, 4-room
Nearest MRT
Mattar (DT25), ~280m

The smallest project in the exercise, near the Downtown Line in the Mattar and Aljunied pocket, with MacPherson and Tai Seng each about a kilometre away. Previews disagree on whether it will be Plus or Standard.

My read: small supply in a central mature town usually means a high application rate, and 440 flats split across two types leaves very few 4-rooms. Worth a first-timer’s ballot if you have a strong reason to be here, but go in expecting a low chance. Watch the classification on launch day, because it changes the maths entirely.

Expected Standard

Yishun · near Khatib

Units
1,580
Flat types
2-room Flexi, 3-room, 4-room, 5-room
Nearest MRT
Khatib (NS14), ~660m

A large project on the North–South Line side of Yishun, walkable to Khatib station. Previews point to it carrying the most 5-room flats of the exercise.

My read: the practical choice for a bigger family that wants a 5-room with a normal five-year MOP. North-side BTOs tend to see lower application rates than the mature-town sites, so your odds here are usually better. That combination — big flat, Standard rules, decent odds — is exactly what a lot of households actually need.

Expected Standard

Sembawang

Units
1,310
Flat types
2-room Flexi, 3-room, 4-room, 5-room
Nearest MRT
Sembawang (NS11), ~1.1km

North of Sembawang MRT, the furthest site from a station in this exercise. It offers every flat type from 2-room Flexi to 5-room.

My read: the one I expect to have the best odds, for exactly the reason in the MRT column. If you need a 4-room or 5-room soon, want Standard rules, and live or work in the north — or near the Woodlands and Johor links — it deserves a serious look. If you commute to the CBD daily, walk the route before you apply.

Expected Standard

Tengah

Units
710
Flat types
2-room Flexi, 3-room, 4-room, 5-room, 3Gen
Nearest MRT
Tengah Park (JRL), ~400m — not yet open

The only project with 3Gen flats, built for households living with parents. The nearest stations are on the Jurong Region Line, which is still under construction, so today’s transport is buses to Bukit Batok and Choa Chu Kang.

My read: a niche but important one. If you are a three-generation household, this is the only 3Gen flat on offer in November, and a small project means competition for those units will be fierce. Earlier Tengah projects were hit by pandemic-era construction delays, so read HDB’s estimated completion date on launch day and plan around it.

The rules that bite

Standard, Plus and Prime: what you are signing up for

Since October 2024 every new BTO project has been classified Standard, Plus or Prime, replacing the old mature and non-mature labels. The classification matters more to your long-term finances than almost anything else on the launch page, so it is worth reading slowly.

Standard (expected: Sembawang, Tengah, Yishun)

  • Five-year minimum occupation period. After that you can sell on the open market or rent out the whole flat.
  • No subsidy recovery. Whatever you sell for, the proceeds are yours (after your loan and CPF refund).
  • Any eligible buyer on resale. The usual resale rules apply, which keeps your future buyer pool wide.

Plus and Prime (expected: Bedok, Toa Payoh)

  • Ten-year minimum occupation period. Time the flat is rented out with HDB’s approval does not count towards it.
  • Subsidy recovery on resale. You return a percentage of the resale price or valuation, whichever is higher. HDB discloses the percentage for each project at launch.
  • No renting out the whole flat, ever. Spare rooms only, with approval, for 3-room and larger.
  • Tighter resale buyer pool. Future buyers must meet the income ceiling and cannot own private property.
  • In return: additional subsidies at purchase, and locations that standard BTOs do not reach.

My honest read on Plus and Prime

I sell a lot of HDB flats to families upgrading to condos, and the pattern I see is consistent: most couples who buy a BTO in their late twenties want to move by their late thirties. Five-year MOP flats fit that plan. Ten-year MOP flats usually do not. A couple who collects keys in 2030 on a Plus flat cannot sell until 2040.

So my rule of thumb is simple. Apply for Plus or Prime only if you would be genuinely happy to live there for 12 to 15 years from today — the wait for the flat plus the MOP. If the honest answer is “probably not”, a Standard flat, or a resale flat in the town you actually want, will serve you better. If you are weighing the second option, my BTO vs resale comparison puts the two side by side in dollars.

Eligibility

The new income ceiling, and the 25 September HFE deadline

Two things changed in August that affect this launch directly.

Income ceilings went up

At the National Day Rally on 23 August 2026, the government raised the household income ceiling for BTO flats from $14,000 to $16,000 a month, and for eligible singles aged 35 and above from $7,000 to $8,000. It took effect for HFE applications from 24 August 2026, so it covers the November exercise. The EC ceiling went up to $18,000 at the same time — my EC income ceiling guide covers that.

If your household earns between $14,001 and $16,000 and you had written off BTO, this is the first exercise you can apply for. Check what grants you now qualify for with the HDB grant calculator before you pick a flat type.

The HFE letter deadline is 25 September

You cannot apply for a BTO without a valid HDB Flat Eligibility (HFE) letter. HDB’s own advice for this exercise is to apply early and submit all required documents by 25 September 2026. It issues the letter within about a month of receiving everything, and warns that processing is slower before and during a sales exercise. The HFE e-Service is switched off during the eight-day application window, though anyone who already holds a letter or applied before the exercise is unaffected.

If you have not started, start today. My HFE letter guide walks through what it checks and the documents it needs.

What does not apply yet

The extra ballot chance for first-timer families — one additional ballot chance for each Singapore citizen child aged 18 and below — was also announced at the Rally, but it starts from February 2027. It does not apply to the November 2026 exercise.

Timeline

From now to booking a flat

  1. Now to 25 September 2026. Apply for your HFE letter and upload every document HDB asks for. Incomplete applications are the most common reason people miss an exercise.
  2. Before launch. Work out your budget and grants, and decide your flat type. Sign up for HDB e-Alerts on the project pages so you are notified when it opens.
  3. Launch day, November 2026. HDB publishes prices, final unit counts, classifications, subsidy recovery percentages and estimated completion dates. Read them before choosing a project.
  4. The eight-day application window. Apply for one project and one flat type. There is no advantage to applying on the first day; the ballot is computerised.
  5. Ballot results and queue numbers. Released after the window closes, usually within a few weeks. Your queue number decides when you are invited to book.
  6. Flat booking appointment. Pick your unit, sign the Agreement for Lease and pay the downpayment. Key collection follows several years later, at completion.
Action

Which project I would look at, depending on who you are

  • Young couple, both working in town, staying long-term. Bedok Bayshore or Toa Payoh Caldecott, and accept the 10-year rules with your eyes open. If Prime odds scare you, the larger Bayshore project has 1,640 flats and better odds than Caldecott.
  • Couple who plan to upgrade to a condo within ten years. Stick to Standard: Yishun, Sembawang or Tengah. Or compare against a resale flat that lets you start the five-year MOP clock now rather than in 2030.
  • Larger family who needs a 5-room. Yishun first, Sembawang second. Bedok, Toa Payoh and Geylang have no 5-room at all.
  • Living with parents. Tengah is the only 3Gen option this round. Alternatively, apply for a flat within 4km of your parents — ask me how the Proximity Housing Grant and the priority schemes work if you go that way.
  • Seniors 65 and above. Look at the Community Care Apartments at Toa Payoh, which come with care services built in.
  • Household earning $14,001 to $16,000. You are newly eligible. Get your HFE in before 25 September, and check whether any grants now apply to you.
  • You were thinking of selling your current flat to buy BTO. Check your eligibility carefully first — second-timer rules, resale levy and timing all matter. I would rather talk it through before you list than after.
Not sure BTO is the right move at all?

Tell me your household income, the towns you need to be near and when you need to move. I will tell you honestly whether a BTO, a resale flat or an EC fits better, and what each would cost you. No obligation, and if the answer is “apply for the BTO and wait”, I will say so.

WhatsApp Viona Compare resale flats

I usually reply within the hour, 9am–9pm.

Still open

What HDB has not told us yet

These will only be answered on launch day. I will update this page when they are.

1. Prices

HDB publishes indicative prices at launch, not before. Any price range you see today is an estimate from comparable past launches, not an HDB figure.

2. Classifications and subsidy recovery percentages

Toa Payoh as Prime and Bedok as Plus are strong expectations. Geylang is a genuine open question. The subsidy recovery percentage for each Plus or Prime project is disclosed only at launch.

3. Completion dates

HDB gives an estimated completion date per project at launch. Some may be shorter-waiting-time projects; none has been flagged as such yet.

4. The exact launch date

HDB has said November 2026. It usually confirms the opening date only shortly before. The application window runs for eight days.

Questions people are asking me about the November BTO

HDB has scheduled it for November 2026, moved from October. The exact opening date is announced shortly before launch, and the application window runs for eight days. You need a valid HFE letter to apply, and HDB advises submitting your HFE application with all documents by 25 September 2026.

Seven projects, about 7,970 flats according to HDB’s portal: two in Bedok at Bayshore (1,640 and 860), Yishun near Khatib (1,580), Toa Payoh beside Caldecott (1,430, including Community Care Apartments), Sembawang (1,310), Tengah (710) and Geylang near Mattar (440).

HDB confirms only at launch. Previews expect Toa Payoh (Caldecott) to be Prime and both Bedok Bayshore projects to be Plus. They disagree on Geylang. Sembawang, Tengah and Yishun are expected to be Standard. Plus and Prime mean a 10-year MOP, subsidy recovery on resale and no renting out the whole flat.

$16,000 a month for families (up from $14,000) and $8,000 for eligible singles aged 35 and above (up from $7,000). Both apply to HFE applications from 24 August 2026, so they cover the November 2026 exercise.

HDB’s advice is to submit your HFE application with all documents by 25 September 2026 to take part. The letter is issued within about a month of HDB receiving everything, and processing is slower around a sales exercise. The e-Service closes during the application window, but existing applications are unaffected.

In a straight line from HDB’s site coordinates: both Bedok projects are about 90–100m from Bayshore MRT, Toa Payoh about 170m from Caldecott, Geylang about 280m from Mattar, Tengah about 400m from Tengah Park on the not-yet-open Jurong Region Line, Yishun about 660m from Khatib, and Sembawang about 1.1km from Sembawang MRT. Walking distances will be longer.

It depends mostly on how long you can wait and which town you need. BTO is cheaper with bigger grants for eligible first-timers, but the wait to keys is several years and Plus or Prime flats lock you in for 10. Resale can be yours in months with a five-year MOP. My BTO vs resale guide works through the numbers. This is general commentary, not financial advice.

Deciding between BTO, resale and an EC? Let me run the numbers with you.

Tell me your household income, where you need to live and when you need the keys. I will lay out what the November BTO, a resale flat and an EC would each cost you, and which one I would pick in your shoes. If the answer is the BTO, I will tell you that too.

WhatsApp Viona BTO vs resale, in dollars

I usually reply within the hour, 9am–9pm.

Sources and dates

The project facts on this page are HDB’s, restated in my own words. The MRT distances are my own measurements. The project reads and recommendations are mine and are labelled as such. Figures were correct on 21 September 2026.

  1. HDB Flat Portal, homes.hdb.gov.sg, and its seven “Upcoming BTO” project pages, retrieved 21 September 2026 — the November 2026 timing, the 25 September 2026 HFE document advice, the eight-day application period and the HFE e-Service pause, and for each project the town, flat types, unit count and site coordinates. HDB marks this information as preliminary and subject to change.
  2. Ministry of National Development and HDB, joint announcement following the National Day Rally, 23 August 2026, as reported by AsiaOne and others — the income ceilings of $16,000 for families, $8,000 for singles aged 35 and above and $18,000 for ECs, effective 24 August 2026; the move of the exercise from October to November; the figure of around 7,960 flats; and the extra ballot chance per child from February 2027.
  3. HDB, Standard, Plus and Prime housing framework and conditions after buying a new flat — the 10-year MOP, subsidy recovery on the higher of resale price or valuation, the ban on renting out the whole flat, and the percentage being disclosed at launch.
  4. Market previews of the exercise by property portals and agencies, September 2026 — the expected Prime classification for Toa Payoh (Caldecott), the expected Plus classification for Bedok (Bayshore), the roughly 260 Community Care Apartments at Toa Payoh, and the conflicting expectations for Geylang. These are expectations, not HDB statements.
  5. OneMap (Singapore Land Authority) — MRT station coordinates, used to compute straight-line distances from HDB’s published site coordinates. Distances are rounded, measured to the station point rather than an exit, and are not walking distances.
  6. My own analysis, not reported fact — the expected relative demand for each project, the suitability notes in each card, the 12-to-15-year rule of thumb for Plus and Prime, and every recommendation in the action section.

This article is general commentary on a public housing exercise. It is not financial advice and it is not a representation about any flat’s price, classification or your chance in the ballot. VionaPropnex is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or speaking for HDB. For the authoritative details, always use HDB’s own pages.