For the first time in more than four decades, new public housing will return to the quiet residential pockets of Lakeview and Shunfu.
The Housing & Development Board (HDB) has announced that three Build-To-Order (BTO) projects will be launched progressively from June 2026, introducing about 1,600 new homes into an area long that is predominantly populated with private condominiums, landed houses and lush greenery near MacRitchie Reservoir and Upper Thomson Road.
This marks a shift in the housing landscape of the central-north region, where public housing has historically been sparse despite being surrounded by mature towns such as Bishan, Ang Mo Kio and Toa Payoh.
A rare re-entry into a private enclave
The first project, to be launched in June 2026 at Lakeview, will comprise about 1,200 units across five residential blocks. These will include around 470 two-room Flexi flats, 740 four-room flats and 50 rental units integrated within the development. Two additional projects, one in Lakeview and another in Shunfu, will add a further mix of three- and four-room flats in subsequent BTO exercises.
The Lakeview blocks will range from 18 to 40 storeys, stepping down towards existing private housing. Many stacks are expected to enjoy open views towards MacRitchie’s greenery, a feature more commonly associated with nearby condominiums than public housing.
Beyond housing, the development will introduce a cluster of amenities including an eating house, minimart, clinic, childcare centre, hair salon, bakery and Residents’ Network centre. Park connectors will be enhanced, and sheltered linkways will improve access to bus services along Upper Thomson Road.
Why this supply is significant
While the headline figure is 1,600 new homes, the more consequential detail lies in where these homes are being built.
Lakeview and Shunfu are not new towns. They are established, low-density residential areas with very limited existing HDB stock. For decades, families who wished to live near MacRitchie or Upper Thomson but could not afford private housing had few options.
These projects change that equation.
Over time, when these flats reach their Minimum Occupation Period (MOP) in the mid-to-late 2030s, they will form one of the few clusters of resale HDB flats within a predominantly private residential enclave. In such environments, resale dynamics often differ from those in typical HDB towns, where prices are benchmarked against surrounding public housing.
Here, future resale comparisons are more likely to be drawn against nearby condominiums and landed homes, as well as demand from buyers seeking proximity to Bishan, Ang Mo Kio and Toa Payoh.
The timing within the wider HDB supply cycle
The projects also sit at an interesting point in Singapore’s broader housing timeline.
Between 2020 and 2025, HDB significantly ramped up BTO supply to meet strong demand. This will translate into a large wave of flats reaching MOP between 2025 and the early 2030s, adding substantial resale supply island-wide.
By contrast, the Lakeview and Shunfu flats are expected to reach MOP after this large wave has passed, potentially entering the resale market during a period when new MOP supply has tapered. In a location with already limited public housing alternatives, this could create sustained interest in these units when they eventually enter the resale market.
Effects on surrounding towns
For residents of Bishan, Ang Mo Kio and Toa Payoh, the announcement is unlikely to be seen as competition. Instead, the additional housing and amenities may strengthen the broader liveability and appeal of the central-north region.
New families moving into Lakeview and Shunfu in the coming years may, over time, contribute to upgrader demand into nearby resale condominiums and private homes, reinforcing existing housing ecosystems rather than diluting them.
A long-term development to watch
At first glance, the announcement reads as another addition to Singapore’s steady pipeline of public housing.
Yet, in context, the return of BTO flats to Lakeview and Shunfu is unusual. It reintroduces public housing into a long-established private enclave, adds amenities to a mature neighbourhood, and sets the stage for an uncommon resale profile more than a decade from now.
For home buyers in 2026, the appeal may lie in location and greenery. For market observers, the more intriguing story may unfold many years later, when these flats re-enter the market as one of the few public housing options beside MacRitchie and Upper Thomson.
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