If you received the Proximity Housing Grant (PHG) and the parent or child linked to your grant plans to move during your Minimum Occupation Period (MOP), check the conditions with HDB before anyone commits to the new address. For the live-near route, HDB’s resale conditions say the qualifying parent or child must continue to live within four kilometres during the MOP. The live-with route has its own continuing residence condition.
Start with the HDB grant and purchase records for your flat. Find out which relative and arrangement were used, then use HDB’s official distance service for any proposed live-near address. If you are changing from living together to separate homes, or the new address may fall outside the permitted distance, explain the actual plan to HDB and ask what applies to your case.
- Confirm which grant route and relative your purchase relied on.
- Check your flat’s applicable MOP and ask HDB if the dates are unclear.
- Compare the exact addresses through HDB’s official tool where relevant.
- Ask HDB before a move changes the living arrangement or distance.
- Make a separate plan for childcare, visits or care after the move.
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Find the condition linked to your grant
The HDB Proximity Housing Grant page for families and the corresponding page for singles distinguish buying a resale flat to live with qualifying parents or a child from buying to live near them. Start with the actual route that applied to your purchase. Ask HDB how to confirm the grant record if you no longer have the documents.
Use HDB’s conditions after buying a resale flat to check the continuing residence requirements and the occupation rules. Confirm your own MOP period rather than using a friend’s dates or counting from when you first viewed the flat. If your proposed move is close to the end of the period, ask HDB to verify the relevant timing.
| Your situation | First question to ask | Evidence to gather |
|---|---|---|
| The relative will move to another nearby home | Does the new address still meet the applicable live-near condition? | Exact addresses and an official distance check |
| The relative may move beyond the distance limit | What should we do before committing to the change? | Proposed address, dates and current grant records |
| The relative lives with us and may move out | How does the new living arrangement affect the live-with condition? | Current household arrangement and proposed change |
| The timing is close to the end of the MOP | Which dates apply to this flat and grant? | Purchase or grant records and the proposed move date |
Back to contents · Next: Check the new address with the right tool
Check the new address with the right tool
Use the HDB distance check guidance for the Proximity Housing Grant. Compare the exact addresses relevant to the proposed arrangement. Record the date you checked and whether you have the actual residential address or only an estate name. Two homes in the same town can give different results.
A bus ride, straight-line estimate from a listing or school distance result serves a different purpose. Use HDB’s tool for the grant distance check, and measure the real trip separately for family planning. If a relative will live in temporary accommodation before moving to the final address, tell HDB about both stages. An eventual address within the required distance does not answer how any intervening arrangement is treated.
Ask HDB about the specific change
Give the current and proposed residence arrangements, expected dates and the grant route you relied on. Explain whether the relative would move permanently or whether there is an interim address. Ask which conditions apply, whether you need to take any formal step and which records HDB needs. Use the appropriate official channel for personal documents.
If the move is already underway, contact HDB with the dates and facts as soon as you can. Keep a note of the guidance and any follow-up. A general explanation of the grant helps you frame the enquiry, while HDB can address the actual circumstances.
Back to contents · Next: Worked example when a parent needs a different home
Worked example when a parent needs a different home
A family bought a resale flat using the live-near route. A parent now needs a home with a simpler lift route. There are two possibilities. One address appears to fall within the relevant distance in the official check. The other would put the parent closer to a clinic but may be outside the distance requirement. The family checks both exact addresses and asks HDB about the second option before any binding commitments.
The same family separately tests the care routine. One address might meet the distance check but involve a difficult crossing or an unreliable connection for school pickup. The other may be easier to visit. They record who will make the trip, which days it is needed and what changes if the parent moves first while the new home is being prepared.
This leaves the family with two concrete decisions. It can ask HDB to resolve the grant question and assess the daily care arrangements using real journeys. Each decision has its own evidence and can be updated when the proposed address or date changes.
Back to contents · Next: Compare the care plan alongside the address check
Compare the care plan alongside the address check
List what the family actually does each week. Perhaps one adult handles school pickup twice, another brings groceries, and someone accompanies the parent to an appointment once a month. Next to each task, record who will do it from the proposed address and when the trip will happen. Try the most time-sensitive trip first.
If you are choosing among several homes, record both kinds of evidence. A grant-distance result can help you identify an address question for HDB. A walk to the lift, crossing or bus stop helps you plan everyday care. Retain the exact address and date for both checks so another family member can repeat them.
Where a move is prompted by health, accessibility or household changes, record the practical reasons accurately when you contact HDB. A short description of the present living arrangement and the proposed dates is easier to answer than a general question about whether people can move.
Back to contents · Next: Frequently asked questions
Frequently asked questions
Can a parent move to another address within four kilometres?
Check the exact addresses and the applicable grant conditions. If the qualifying relationship, timing or living arrangement also changes, ask HDB how to handle the whole change for your case.
Can we switch from living with a parent to living near them?
Ask HDB before making the change. The live-with and live-near routes have different continuing conditions. Explain the arrangement you used for the purchase and where everyone proposes to live.
What if the parent has yet to choose a new home?
Check candidate addresses as soon as they are available and note whether the dates could overlap the MOP. Keep the grant question on the family’s pre-commitment checklist.
Back to contents · Next: Next steps and official sources
Next steps and official sources
Find the grant route, note the proposed move date and run the official distance check where relevant. If the move could change the qualifying arrangement, contact HDB with the exact facts before the family commits.