CPF Housing Grant (CHG) 2026

By the HDB Calculator Team · Last reviewed 20 August 2026 · How we verify

What is the CPF Housing Grant?

The CPF Housing Grant (CHG), sometimes called the Family Grant, is a one-off subsidy for first-timer households buying a resale HDB flat on the open market. It is worth up to $80,000 and, unlike the Enhanced CPF Housing Grant, its amount is fixed by who you are and what you buy rather than by a sliding income scale: two variables set it, the citizenship mix of the household and the size of the flat.

It exists to balance the subsidy a BTO buyer receives through a below-market flat price. A resale buyer pays the open market, so the subsidy arrives as a grant instead.

CPF Housing Grant amounts in 2026

Every CHG amount is set by two things: the citizenship mix of the applicants and whether the flat is 2- to 4-room or larger.

Grant amounts: HDB / MyNiceHome. See the sources block at the foot of this page for the exact source and verification date of each figure.

Read the last column before anything else. The CHG is not a flat $80,000 for every first-timer family, which is how it is often summarised — including, until we corrected it, on two of our own guides. Choosing a 5-room over a 4-room flat costs a two-Citizen household $30,000 of grant on top of the higher purchase price.

The flat-size rule, and why it is the expensive one

HDB splits resale flats into two grant bands: 2- to 4-room flats attract the higher grant, and 5-room, 3Gen and Executive flats the lower one. There is no sliding scale between them and no partial step — a 4-room flat and a 5-room flat one block apart sit in different bands.

The effect compounds. A larger flat costs more to buy, so it needs a bigger loan and a bigger 25%% downpayment under the 75%% HDB loan-to-value limit — and it simultaneously attracts less grant. Buyers comparing a 4-room and a 5-room flat usually price the difference in purchase price alone and miss the $30,000 swing in subsidy sitting behind it.

Our affordability calculator works the loan and downpayment side of that comparison; the grant calculator works the subsidy side.

Who qualifies for the CPF Housing Grant

The CHG is the most restrictive of the three resale grants:

• You are buying a resale flat on the open market. New flats from HDB are not eligible.
• All applicants are first-timers. A household that has taken a housing subsidy before does not qualify.
• At least one applicant is a Singapore Citizen, and the household meets one of the recognised family nucleus schemes, or the Single Singapore Citizen Scheme.
• Your average monthly household income is at or below $14,000 for a couple or family, or $7,000 for a single buyer. Families must include at least one other Singapore Citizen or Permanent Resident and be at least 21; singles must be at least 35.
• You hold a valid HDB Flat Eligibility (HFE) letter before you commit to a flat.
• You will occupy the flat and meet the Minimum Occupation Period before selling it.

Singles buying under the Single Singapore Citizen Scheme also face a limit on the size of flat they may buy, which interacts with the flat-size bands above. HDB states the singles amount for the larger band as $25,000 for a 5-room resale flat specifically, rather than across the 5-room, 3Gen and Executive range that applies to families.

CHG versus EHG: two grants people confuse

Both are CPF housing grants, both are credited to your CPF Ordinary Account, and their names differ by one word. They behave differently in every way that matters.

Grant maximums and income ceilings: HDB and CPF Board. See the sources block at the foot of this page for the exact source and verification date of each figure.

A first-timer family buying resale can receive both, plus the Proximity Housing Grant if they buy near parents. That stack is the $230,000 maximum quoted across the market.

A worked example: 4-room versus 5-room

Consider a first-timer Singapore Citizen couple earning $4,000 a month, choosing between a 4-room and a 5-room resale flat.

This is a worked example computed on this site from the figures in the sources block below. It is not an official HDB table, and it is not a quotation of your entitlement — HDB confirms that in your HFE letter.

The 5-room flat costs more and attracts $30,000 less subsidy. Before deciding the extra room is affordable, add that gap to the price difference and run the total through the affordability calculator at the 75%% HDB loan-to-value limit.

How the grant is paid, and what it costs later

The CHG is credited to your CPF Ordinary Account and applied against the purchase price. It never reaches your bank account, and it reduces the loan you need rather than the cash you must find on completion day.

When you sell, the grant returns to your CPF Ordinary Account with the accrued interest it would have earned. Taking it also makes you a subsidised buyer, which is what makes a resale levy payable if you later buy a second subsidised flat. For most households the grant far exceeds the levy, but a household planning a second subsidised purchase should look at both numbers together rather than at the grant alone.

How to apply

The CHG is assessed as part of your flat purchase, not applied for separately:

1. Apply for an HDB Flat Eligibility (HFE) letter. It confirms your first-timer status, your income assessment and your grant amounts in one document.
2. Wait for the outcome before paying an option fee on any flat. The grant depends on the flat you choose, so knowing your band first changes which flats are worth viewing.
3. Secure an Option to Purchase and submit the resale application with your co-applicants.
4. The grant is credited to your CPF Ordinary Account at completion and applied to the price.

Estimate first with our CPF grant calculator, then treat the HFE letter as the authority. Where the two disagree, HDB's assessment is the one that pays.

Frequently asked questions

How much is the CPF Housing Grant in 2026?

Two Singapore Citizens buying a 2- to 4-room resale flat receive $80,000, falling to $50,000 for a 5-room, 3Gen or Executive flat. An SC/PR household receives $60,000 and $40,000 respectively. A single Singapore Citizen receives half the family amount: $40,000 or $25,000.

Does the CPF Housing Grant depend on flat size?

Yes. This is the detail buyers most often get wrong. The grant is not a flat amount: buying a 5-room, 3Gen or Executive flat instead of a 2- to 4-room flat costs a two-Citizen household $30,000 in grant, and an SC/PR household $20,000.

Can I get the CPF Housing Grant on a BTO flat?

No. The CPF Housing Grant applies to resale flats bought on the open market only. Buyers of new flats from HDB are subsidised through the flat price itself and through the Enhanced CPF Housing Grant.

What is the difference between the CPF Housing Grant and the EHG?

The CPF Housing Grant is resale-only and is set by citizenship and flat size. The Enhanced CPF Housing Grant applies to both new and resale flats and is set by your income on a sliding scale. First-timer families buying resale can receive both.

Can singles get the CPF Housing Grant?

Yes. A single Singapore Citizen buying under the Single Singapore Citizen Scheme receives half the family amount: $40,000 for a 2- to 4-room resale flat, or $25,000 for a 5-room, 3Gen or Executive flat, subject to the flat-size limits that apply to singles.

Related pages

• Every HDB grant amount in 2026 — all four grants, every ceiling, in one table.
• Enhanced CPF Housing Grant 2026 — the income-tiered grant claimed alongside this one.
• HDB grants for singles 2026 — including why this grant reaches a 5-room flat.
• Step-Up CPF Housing Grant 2026 — the second-timer grant that replaces this one.