HDB Grant Guide 2026: EHG, CPF Housing Grant & Proximity

By the HDB Calculator Team · Last reviewed 21 August 2026 · How we verify

Singapore's HDB grant system can feel like alphabet soup — EHG, CHG, PHG, Step-Up. But understanding these grants is the difference between leaving tens of thousands of dollars on the table and walking away with up to $230,000 in subsidies.

Here's exactly how each grant works in 2026, who qualifies, and how they stack together.

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The 4 Main HDB Grants at a Glance

All four grants are summarised below, then explained one at a time. For the amounts on their own, without the walkthrough, see every Singapore HDB government grant amount in 2026.

The four main HDB housing grants, with who receives each and the maximum amount

Grant	Who Gets It	Maximum (Families)	Maximum (Singles)	BTO or Resale?
Enhanced Housing Grant (EHG)	First-timers only	Up to $120,000	Up to $60,000	Both
CPF Housing Grant (CHG)	First-timer families	Up to $80,000	Up to $40,000	Resale only
Proximity Housing Grant (PHG)	Buyers near parents/children	$30,000 (live together) / $20,000 (within 4km)	$15,000 / $10,000 (singles)	Resale only
Step-Up Grant	Second-timers buying a 2- or 3-room flat, new or resale	$15,000	N/A	Both

Source: HDB grant amounts and income ceilings. See the sources block at the foot of this page for verification dates.

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Enhanced Housing Grant (EHG)

The EHG is your bread-and-butter grant. It applies to both BTO and resale purchases and is entirely income-based. The band-by-band table sits on our page for the HDB Enhanced CPF Housing Grant amount in 2026.

Income Ceilings

• Families: Average gross monthly household income ≤ $9,000
• Singles: Average gross monthly income ≤ $4,500

How the Sliding Scale Works

The less you earn, the more you get. Families at the lowest income tier receive the full $120,000, and the grant reaches zero above the $9,000 ceiling. The $120,000 maximum and the $9,000 ceiling are official HDB figures; the income tier each amount sits in is our estimate, since HDB no longer publishes a per-band table.

For a couple earning $6,500/month, the estimated EHG is $70,000. At $5,500/month, it rises to $80,000. The grant steps down by $5,000 for each $500 of additional income — check the calculator for your tier, and HDB confirms the exact figure via the HFE letter.

What Counts as Income?

HDB looks at your average gross monthly household income over the 12 months before your application. This includes:

• Basic salary
• Allowances (fixed transport, phone, etc.)
• Bonuses (prorated monthly)
• Part-time and freelance income
• CPF contributions from employment

Overtime and variable bonuses are excluded.

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CPF Housing Grant (CHG)

The CPF Housing Grant is where resale buyers get their edge. This grant is only available for resale purchases, and it is income-tested — against a ceiling of $14,000 for couples and families, or $7,000 for singles. That ceiling is much higher than the EHG's, so households above the EHG limit often still qualify here, but it is not absent. See CPF Housing Grant eligibility and amounts in 2026 for the full conditions.

CPF Housing Grant by citizenship combination and flat size

Buyer Combination	Family Grant	Singles Grant
SC + SC	$80,000 (2- to 4-room) $50,000 (5-room, 3Gen, Executive)	$40,000 (2- to 4-room)* $25,000 (5-room, 3Gen, Executive)*
SC + SPR	$60,000 (2- to 4-room) $40,000 (5-room, 3Gen, Executive)	N/A
SC + Foreigner	Not eligible	Not eligible
SPR + SPR	Not eligible	Not eligible

Source: HDB CPF Housing Grant amounts. See the sources block at the foot of this page for verification dates.

*A single buyer's CPF Housing Grant is set by flat size, not by estate. It is $40,000 on a 2- to 4-room resale flat and $25,000 on a 5-room resale flat, which is the largest flat the grant reaches. The buyer must be at least 35, and average gross monthly household income must not exceed $7,000.

💡 The CPF Housing Grant flows into your CPF OA and reduces the cash you need — but it also affects your accrued interest obligation at sale. See how CPF funds your HDB purchase for the full picture.

Key Conditions

• At least one buyer must be a Singapore Citizen
• First-timer applicants only (no CHG for second-timers)
• The flat must be a resale HDB unit
• Private property owners: If you or your spouse owned any private property (local or overseas) in the last 30 months, you are not eligible for EHG or CHG. The 30-month period starts from the date of disposal.

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Proximity Housing Grant (PHG)

The PHG rewards you for living near family. It's available only for resale purchases. If the distance is your question, read how to check the Proximity Housing Grant 4km rule.

Grant Tiers

The Proximity Housing Grant pays a different amount depending on how close you live to your parents or children.

Proximity Housing Grant by living arrangement

Living Arrangement	Grant Amount
Live with parents/children in the same flat	$30,000 (families) / $15,000 (singles)
Live within 4km of parents/children (same estate or nearby)	$20,000 (families) / $10,000 (singles)

Source: HDB Proximity Housing Grant amounts. See the sources block at the foot of this page for verification dates.

Important Details

• The parent or child you're living near must be a Singapore Citizen or Permanent Resident
• HDB measures the 4km itself when assessing your HFE letter application, and does not publish the distance metric it uses
• You can qualify even if your parents already live in a private property
• Married couples can claim PHG based on either spouse's parents

This grant stacks with EHG and CHG, making it a powerful tool for buyers willing to stay close to family.

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Step-Up Grant

The Step-Up CPF Housing Grant is for second-timer families — married couples or families who have already taken one housing subsidy — and it is a flat $15,000. It is not an upgrading grant. HDB restricts it in both directions: your current flat must be a 2- or 3-room Standard or unclassified flat (or a flat under the Public Rental Scheme), and the flat you are buying must also be a 2- or 3-room flat — a 2-room Flexi or 3-room Standard flat from HDB, or a 2- or 3-room Standard or unclassified flat on the open market. A second-timer family buying a 4-room flat gets nothing from this grant. It applies to a new flat from HDB as well as a resale flat.

⚠️ There is no choice to make between Step-Up and the CPF Housing Grant. The CPF Housing Grant for Resale Flats is a first-timer grant, so a second-timer household is not weighing it against the $15,000 Step-Up — it is not eligible for the $80,000 in the first place. The Enhanced CPF Housing Grant is a first-timer grant too. What a second-timer family can still claim on a resale flat is the Proximity Housing Grant, which HDB names on the Step-Up page itself.

Who Qualifies

HDB sets five conditions, and every one of them has to hold. Each is worked through on our Step-Up CPF Housing Grant 2026 page.

• Household: a married couple or family that has taken one housing subsidy already.
• Current flat: a 2-room Standard flat, a 2-room unclassified flat in a non-mature estate, a 3-room Standard or 3-room unclassified flat in a non-mature estate, or a flat under the Public Rental Scheme.
• Next flat: a 2-room Flexi or 3-room Standard flat from HDB, or a 2- or 3-room Standard or unclassified flat on the open market. Not a 4-room.
• Employment: worked continuously for at least 12 months as at 2 months before the HFE letter application, and working when you apply.
• Income: average gross monthly household income over that same 12-month window must not exceed $7,000.

On a resale flat, HDB adds two lease conditions: more than 20 years years remaining, and enough lease to cover the youngest core member to age 95. No applicant or occupier may own private property, or have disposed of one in the last 30 months. The grant is credited to the CPF Ordinary Accounts of the SC and SPR core members and can offset the purchase price or reduce the loan.

Source: HDB’s Step-Up CPF Housing Grant page. See the sources block at the foot of this page for verification dates.

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How Grants Stack Together

This is where it gets exciting. Many grants can be combined:

Scenario: First-Timer SC+SC Couple, Resale

This scenario stacks every grant the household can claim.

Worked example: grant stack for a first-timer SC+SC couple buying resale

Grant	Maximum
EHG (income-based)	Up to $120,000
CPF Housing Grant (SC+SC)	$80,000
Proximity Housing Grant (live with parents)	$30,000
Total	Up to $230,000

Worked example computed from the figures in the sources block at the foot of this page, not an official HDB table.

Scenario: First-Timer SC+SPR Couple, Resale

This scenario stacks every grant the household can claim.

Worked example: grant stack for a first-timer SC+SPR couple buying resale

Grant	Maximum
EHG (income-based)	Up to $120,000
CPF Housing Grant (SC+SPR)	$60,000
Proximity Housing Grant (within 4km)	$20,000
Total	Up to $200,000

Worked example computed from the figures in the sources block at the foot of this page, not an official HDB table.

Scenario: Single First-Timer, BTO

This scenario stacks every grant a single buyer can claim on a BTO flat. The resale route, which pays more, is worked through on HDB grants for singles in 2026.

Worked example: grant stack for a single first-timer buying BTO

Grant	Maximum
EHG (income-based)	Up to $60,000
Total	Up to $60,000

Worked example computed from the figures in the sources block at the foot of this page, not an official HDB table.

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Common Grant Mistakes to Avoid

1. Assuming you don't qualify. Many buyers overestimate the income cutoff. Check — the $9,000 ceiling covers most median-income households.

2. Forgetting the PHG. If your parents live within 4km, that's $20,000 (families) you're entitled to. Don't leave it unclaimed.

3. Not knowing your citizenship mix matters. SC+PR couples get $60,000 CHG, not $80,000. Plan accordingly.

4. Missing the income review period. Your income is averaged over the 12 months before application. A bonus-heavy month in month 13 won't hurt you — a spike in month 6 might.

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Your Next Step

Before you start viewing flats, know exactly what you're entitled to:

• Check your grants now — our free HDB Grant Checker shows your total entitlement in under 2 minutes.

• Run your affordability — plug in your income, grants, and desired flat price into the full Affordability Calculator.

• Read the eligibility guide for a step-by-step walkthrough of checking your qualification for each grant.

Related Articles

• HDB Grant Eligibility Guide — step-by-step verification of your grant eligibility
• BTO vs Resale 2026 — compare grant outcomes for BTO versus resale buyers
• Apply for HDB Loan — understand how grants reduce your required loan amount

For more questions, visit the HDB Calculator FAQ.

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Key Takeaways

• Maximum grant potential: SC+SC families buying resale and living with parents can stack up to $230,000 (EHG + CHG + PHG), while singles buying BTO are capped at $60,000 (EHG only).
• CHG is income-tested against a ceiling of $14,000 for families and $7,000 for singles, and it varies by flat size: on a 2- to 4-room resale flat SC+SC couples get $80,000, SC+SPR $60,000 and singles $40,000; on a 5-room, 3Gen or Executive flat those drop to $50,000, $40,000 and $25,000. CHG is resale-only and first-timer-only.
• Stacking rules matter: EHG works for both BTO and resale, but CHG and PHG are resale-only — BTO buyers miss out on $80,000+ in potential grants.
• Avoid the common mistake of self-disqualifying: the EHG income ceiling is $9,000/month for families, covering most median-income households starting out.
• PHG is easily overlooked: for families, living within 4km of parents is worth $20,000, and living together is $30,000 (singles: $10,000 and $15,000) — your parents can even live in private property.

Always verify with HDB and CPF Board before making property decisions.