Enhanced CPF Housing Grant (EHG): Definitive Guide

Financially Reviewed by Edward Hee
By Firdaus Syazwani

Published: 23 January, 2026
Last Updated: 9 January, 2026

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Thinking of getting your first home but feeling overwhelmed by all the CPF housing grants flying around?

You’re not alone – I just applied for it too – and I’m here to share what I learnt.

In this post, you’ll learn:

What the Enhanced CPF Housing Grant (EHG) is
Who qualifies, and how much you can get
How it works and how to apply
Other housing grants you can stack with the EHG

Let’s make homeownership a little less intimidating, shall we?

What is the Enhanced CPF Housing Grant (EHG)?

The EHG is a housing subsidy provided by the Singapore Government.

It’s designed specifically for first-time flat buyers like you to help ease the financial burden of owning your first home, whether you’re eyeing a BTO or a resale flat.

The EHG was introduced in September 2019, replacing 2 older schemes.

The first was the Additional CPF Housing Grant (AHG), which mainly supported lower-income households.

The second was the Special CPF Housing Grant (SHG), which was available only to those buying new flats in non-mature estates.

Merging both into the EHG made the process simpler and, more importantly, fairer, so that the type of flat or where it’s located doesn’t restrict the help you get.

How does it work?

If you’re eligible, you can get up to $120,000 as a housing subsidy.

The grant is credited directly into your CPF Ordinary Account (OA).

Once it’s in, it’s automatically used to offset the cost of your flat, so you won’t even need to lift a finger.

Now, let’s say your grant covers a chunk of the cost, but you’ve still got a balance to settle.

You can do that using a mix of your CPF OA savings, a HDB or bank loan, or cash.

You’ve got options to manage it without over-stretching yourself.

Who is eligible for the Enhanced CPF Housing Grant (EHG)?

Firstly, you (and your co-applicant, if any) must have been continuously employed for at least 12 months right up to 2 months before your HDB Flat Eligibility (HFE) letter application.

Even then, my partner and I went ahead with the application, although my partner hadn’t been employed continuously for 12 months.

And we were still approved for our HFE letter, so it may be worth trying even if you don’t fully meet the employment requirement.

Secondly, if you’re buying a resale flat, you must first qualify for the CPF Housing Grant to be eligible for the EHG.

On top of that, the property must have a remaining lease of at least 20 years.

But if you want the full grant amount, the lease should last long enough to cover you (or your spouse, whichever is younger) till age 95.

And lastly, you must not own or have recently sold any other residential property, whether in Singapore or overseas.

Specifically, you can’t have owned or disposed of any residential property within the 30 months before your flat application.

That includes private properties, so if you’re thinking of “upgrading” from something else, the EHG might be off the table.

Families

Now, if you’re applying as a family unit, your household’s average monthly income must be $9,000 or less.

That’s the combined income of both you and your partner, so if you’re both earning around $4,000 each, you’re still in the clear.

Additionally, at least 1 applicant must be a Singapore Citizen (SC).

If both of you are fresh to the homeownership game, you could receive up to $120,000 in grants.

If one of you is a second-timer (say, from a previous flat or marriage), you’re not left out completely.

But the amount you can receive is capped at $60,000 – half of the maximum for first-timer families.

Singles

If you’re going solo on your homeownership journey, no worries.

As a first-timer applicant aged 35 and above, you’re eligible to apply for the EHG when buying a resale flat or BTO on your own, or with other first-time, single citizens.

Alternatively, you could buy with your parents, as long as at least 1 parent is a Singapore Citizen and both parents are also first-timers.

There’s even an option if you’re married to a non-resident spouse (say, a foreigner who hasn’t gotten PR yet).

In that case, you can still qualify at age 21, as long as you’re applying to buy a resale flat together.

The income ceiling is also lower for singles.

If you’re applying alone, your average monthly income must not exceed $4,500.

If you’re applying jointly with other eligible singles, or with a non-resident spouse or parents, then the cap is raised to $9,000 per household.

How much can I receive from the Enhanced CPF Housing Grant (EHG)?

EHG amounts for families

Average monthly household income	Grant amount
Not more than $1,500	$120,000
$1,501 to $2,000	$110,000
$2,001 to $2,500	$105,000
$2,501 to $3,000	$95,000
$3,001 to $3,500	$90,000
$3,501 to $4,000	$80,000
$4,001 to $4,500	$70,000
$4,501 to $5,000	$65,000
$5,001 to $5,500	$55,000
$5,501 to $6,000	$50,000
$6,001 to $6,500	$40,000
$6,501 to $7,000	$30,000
$7,001 to $7,500	$25,000
$7,501 to $8,000	$20,000
$8,001 to $8,500	$10,000
$8,501 to $9,000	$5,000

However, it’s important to note that this average monthly household income refers to the average income you’ve earned while you were employed over the past 12 months, and not the 12-month average.

For instance, let’s say your partner worked only 6 out of the past 12 months and earned $4,000 during each of those months. You, on the other hand, were employed for the full 12 months with a monthly income of $4,500.

Using the formula – total income earned/number of months you were employed:

Your partner’s income works out to: $4,000 × 6 = $24,000, and $24,000 ÷ 6 = $4,000

Yours would be: $4,500 × 12 = $54,000, and $54,000 ÷ 12 = $4,500

So together, your average monthly household income is $4,000 + $4,500, which puts you in the tier for a $5,000 grant.

How do I know? I literally experienced this, and had to call CPF to clarify why our grant was so low. Sad.

EHG amounts for singles

Average monthly income	Grant amount
Not more than $750	$60,000
$751 to $1,000	$55,000
$1,001 to $1,250	$52,500
$1,251 to $1,500	$47,500
$1,501 to $1,750	$45,000
$1,751 to $2,000	$40,000
$2,001 to $2,250	$35,000
$2,251 to $2,500	$32,500
$2,501 to $2,750	$27,500
$2,751 to $3,000	$25,000
$3,001 to $3,250	$20,000
$3,251 to $3,500	$15,000
$3,501 to $3,750	$12,500
$3,751 to $4,000	$10,000
$4,001 to $4,250	$5,000
$4,251 to $4,500	$2,500

Additional grants you might be eligible for

Proximity Housing Grant (PHG)

If you’re buying a resale flat, there’s another useful one you should know about: the Proximity Housing Grant (PHG).

This one’s for those of you who want to live close to your family.

If you’re planning to live with your parents or child in the same resale flat, you could get $30,000.

If you’re planning to live within 4km of them, you could get $20,000.

And yes, you read that right – this is on top of the EHG.

However, do note that this is strictly for first-time use. If you’ve received the PHG before, you can’t get it again – even if you’re moving closer a second time.

Additionally, you must apply as a couple or family unit.

Singles don’t qualify for the PHG.

Step-Up CPF Housing Grant (Families) (SUHG)

This grant is specifically meant for couples and families who have already taken 1 round of housing subsidy, and are now planning to buy a larger resale flat or BTO (think of upgrading from a 2-room to a 3-room or 4-room).

You can receive a housing grant of $15,000 under the SUHG.

To be eligible, your combined household income must not exceed $7,000/month.

How do I apply for the Enhanced CPF Housing Grant?

Step 1: Check your eligibility

Before anything else, you’ll need to get your HDB Flat Eligibility (HFE) letter.

This is a must-have – it tells you whether you qualify for buying a flat, taking a HDB loan, and getting any CPF housing grants (including the EHG).

You can apply for the HFE letter online via the HDB Flat Portal.

Step 2: Submit your application

If you’re buying a resale flat, you’ll apply for the EHG when submitting your resale flat application.

If you’re booking a BTO flat, the grant will be processed once you’ve booked your flat with HDB.

Step 3: Grant disbursement

If approved, your grant amount will be credited straight into your CPF OA.

From there, it’ll be automatically used to offset the flat’s purchase price or reduce your housing loan amount.

Do I have to repay the Enhanced CPF Housing Grant?

Not exactly, but let me explain.

You don’t have to repay the EHG in cash.

It’s not a loan, so there are no monthly repayments or interest rates to worry about.

But here’s the catch: If and when you sell your flat in the future, the grant amount, plus accrued interest (same interest rate as your CPF OA, currently 2.5% per annum), will need to be returned to your CPF OA.

This is to ensure that your CPF savings are “topped back up”, so they can still serve their original purpose – whether that’s for your next home, retirement, or other CPF uses.

Frequently asked questions

Can EHG be combined with other housing grants?

Yes, the Enhanced CPF Housing Grant (EHG) can be combined with other housing grants.

If you’re buying a resale flat, you can stack the EHG with the Proximity Housing Grant (PHG) and Step-Up Grant – as long as you meet the eligibility criteria for each.

This combo can significantly reduce your flat’s cost, with some buyers receiving over $160,000 in total grants.

However, do note that these grants are only credited into your CPF OA and used to offset the flat price or reduce your housing loan.

Conclusion

So there you have it – a full breakdown of the Enhanced CPF Housing Grant (EHG).

We’ve covered what it is, who qualifies, how much you can get (based on your income), and how it stacks with other grants like the Proximity Housing Grant and Step-Up Grant.

We’ve also cleared up the mystery about repayment – no, you don’t pay it back in cash, but yes, it goes back into your CPF if you sell your flat.

We hope that this post has been helpful for you to understand the EHG better!

And if you’re interested in finding a place to grow your savings while waiting for your home – with potentially better returns than what the banks offer – our financial advisors are able to help!

Click here for a chat.

References

Firdaus Syazwani

In 1999, Firdaus's mother bought an endowment plan from an insurance agent to gift him $20,000. However, after 20 years of paying premiums, Firdaus discovered that the policy was actually a whole life plan with a sum assured of $20,000, and they didn't receive any money back. This experience inspired Firdaus to create dollarbureau.com, so that others won't face the same problem of being misled or not understanding what they are purchasing – which he sees as a is a huge problem in the industry.

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