While it is commendable that the Housing Board has come up with an initiative to help needy families get their own homes, there are some areas that need to be addressed (HDB team guides rental flat families in buying their own homes, Jan 24).

Can the seven-member Home Ownership Support Team (HST) be expanded so that more households living in public rental flats - which number around 50,000 - can get guidance to buy their own flats earlier and the process can be sped up? There is only so much that the current team can do, given its small size.

At the rate that the HST aims to conduct its outreach - 1,000 rental households over the next few years - it will likely be a long wait for many such families to have a home of their own.

Can the HDB provide details of the locations of the households that have been or are being given help?

Among the 49,000 households that will need to wait longer to receive help, there are those who may want to own their own homes soon.

Would the HDB consider opening up an office for keen households to visit the officers and indicate their interest, as an alternative to the officers going to their homes, which may take some time? Opening up such an option can shorten the waiting time.

Also, can the HDB provide details of how it plans to reach out to households - such as a timeline and a schedule of the places it intends to visit?

Can more grants be given to these rental households so that they can own their flat first, regardless of their financial health, and then work towards paying for their flat later on?

The priority should be to secure home ownership first.

This would be a better way to help the lower-income population, as we work towards being a better and more inclusive country, where everyone is supported.

Kevin Tan