What are 'brownfield' sites? Minister explains

Differences between resale and new BTO flats

Flyers hyping million-dollar HDB resales

Finding a stable market baseline long-term

West Coast GRC since last election

Housing affordability as an issue for the GE

Desmond Lee's lessons as a politician

Mount Pleasant brownfield conversion for BTO

Synopsis: The Usual Place host Natasha Ann Zachariah hunts for new perspectives on issues that matter to young people.

Following Budget 2025 and the Committee of Supply Debate on government spending, Natasha invites as her co-host Isabelle Liew, a ST journalist who covers the housing beat.

They welcome Minister for National Development Desmond Lee on their living room couch as he says housing affordability will always be a “top-of-mind” issue for Singaporeans, as the nation gears up for the upcoming general election.

He explains how the Government’s measures, including the increase in supply of Build-To-Order (BTO) flats and the injection of executive condominium (EC) units, will start to address this issue.

Highlights (click/tap above):

2:50 What are 'brownfield' sites? Minister explains; on seeming ground sentiment that homeownership is slipping out of reach for younger Singaporeans

5:29 Differences between "willing buyer, willing seller" resale open market and new BTO flats; on supply projection

9:25 On property sales flyers hyping up million-dollar HDB resale flats; the FOMO (fear of missing out) effect, information and prudence

11:42 On possible government levers and measures on demand, how market can find stable baseline over the long term; advice to younger home-buying couples

18:20 On how his own West Coast GRC team fared since the last general election, and following the departure of Mr S Iswaran after corruption charges

24:00 On voter sentiments and housing affordability as an issue for the GE

34:00 What Minister Desmond Lee has learnt about himself as a politician so far, juggling portfolios? On what happens at his Meet-the-People Sessions

39:28 The deeper nuances behind converting the brownfield site for the upcoming new Mount Pleasant BTO housing estate

Follow Natasha on her IG account and DM her your thoughts on this topic: https://str.sg/8Wav

Follow Natasha on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/v6DN

Read Natasha's articles: https://str.sg/iSXm

Follow Isabelle Liew on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/Lu6q

Read Isabelle Liew's articles: https://str.sg/iqDq

Filmed by: Studio+65

Edited by: Jacen Tan, ST Video

Executive producers: Ernest Luis & Lynda Hong

Follow The Usual Place Podcast on Thursdays and get notified for new episode drops:

Channel: https://str.sg/5nfm

Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/9ijX

Spotify: https://str.sg/cd2P

YouTube: https://str.sg/wEr7u

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg

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Follow more ST podcast channels:

All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7

ST Podcasts website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

ST Podcasts YouTube: https://str.sg/4Vwsa

---

Get The Straits Times app, which has a dedicated podcast player section:

The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB

Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX

#tup #tuptr

Synopsis: The Usual Place host Natasha Ann Zachariah hunts for new perspectives on issues that matter to young people.
Following Budget 2025 and the Committee of Supply Debate on government spending, Natasha invites as her co-host Isabelle Liew, a ST journalist who covers the housing beat.
They welcome Minister for National Development Desmond Lee on their living room couch as he says housing affordability will always be a &ldquo;top-of-mind&rdquo; issue for Singaporeans, as the nation gears up for the upcoming general election.
He explains how the Government&rsquo;s measures, including the increase in supply of Build-To-Order (BTO) flats and the injection of executive condominium (EC) units, will start to address this issue.
Highlights (click/tap above):
2:50 What are 'brownfield' sites? Minister explains;&nbsp;on seeming ground sentiment that homeownership is slipping out of reach for younger Singaporeans
5:29 Differences between "willing buyer, willing seller" resale open market and new BTO flats; on supply projection
9:25 On property sales flyers hyping up million-dollar HDB resale flats;&nbsp;the FOMO (fear of missing out) effect, information and prudence
11:42 On possible government levers and measures on demand, how market can find stable baseline over the long term; advice to younger home-buying couples
18:20 On how his own West Coast GRC team fared since the last general election, and following the departure of Mr S Iswaran after corruption charges
24:00 On voter sentiments and housing affordability as an issue for the GE
34:00 What Minister Desmond Lee has learnt about himself as a politician so far, juggling portfolios? On what happens at his Meet-the-People Sessions
39:28 The deeper nuances behind converting the brownfield site for the upcoming new Mount Pleasant BTO housing estate
Follow Natasha on her IG account and DM her your thoughts on this topic:&nbsp;<a href="https://str.sg/8Wav">https://str.sg/8Wav</a>
Follow Natasha on LinkedIn:&nbsp;<a href="https://str.sg/v6DN">https://str.sg/v6DN</a> Read Natasha's articles:&nbsp;<a href="https://str.sg/iSXm">https://str.sg/iSXm</a>
Follow Isabelle Liew on LinkedIn: <a href="https://str.sg/Lu6q">https://str.sg/Lu6q</a>
Read Isabelle Liew's articles: <a href="https://str.sg/iqDq">https://str.sg/iqDq</a>
Filmed by: Studio+65
Edited by: Jacen Tan, ST Video
Executive producers: Ernest Luis &amp; Lynda Hong
Follow The Usual Place Podcast on Thursdays and get notified for new episode drops:
Channel:&nbsp;<a href="https://str.sg/5nfm" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://str.sg/5nfm&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1726912254033000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3iptWDheZTbc6UWH19K9Ik">https://str.sg/5nfm</a>
Apple Podcasts:&nbsp;<a href="https://str.sg/9ijX" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://str.sg/9ijX&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1726912254033000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1FaPmmc8vEyCxKmRadKVZo">https://str.sg/9ijX</a>
Spotify:&nbsp;<a href="https://str.sg/cd2P" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://str.sg/cd2P&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1726912254033000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2w3xb6c1ejhhdXDpghQkBE">https://str.sg/cd2P</a>
YouTube:&nbsp;<a href="https://str.sg/wEr7u" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://str.sg/wEr7u&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1726912254033000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3mQ12S80ZFi9MtpS0oP5Kz">https://str.sg/wEr7u</a>
Feedback to:&nbsp;<a href="mailto:podcast@sph.com.sg">podcast@sph.com.sg</a>
---
Follow more ST podcast channels:
All-in-one ST Podcasts channel:&nbsp;<a href="https://str.sg/wvz7" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://str.sg/wvz7&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1726912254033000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2LPvTdnzHsUwHU7VHQNXR8">https://str.sg/wvz7</a>
ST Podcasts website:&nbsp;<a href="http://str.sg/stpodcasts" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://str.sg/stpodcasts&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1726912254033000&amp;usg=AOvVaw11bVm3kZchw4h57yIYmPUV">http://str.sg/stpodcasts</a>
ST Podcasts YouTube:&nbsp;<a href="https://str.sg/4Vwsa" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://str.sg/4Vwsa&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1726912254033000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3m8aAMNJ7I1x71LUJyga7_">https://str.sg/4Vwsa</a>
---
Get The Straits Times app, which has a dedicated podcast player section:
The App Store:&nbsp;<a href="https://str.sg/icyB" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://str.sg/icyB&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1726912254033000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2Z9ol0eeLYDBOp1ky8QJVI">https://str.sg/icyB</a>
Google Play:&nbsp;<a href="https://str.sg/icyX" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://str.sg/icyX&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1726912254033000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1t-PEBbVM8Grjm7dumueld">https://str.sg/icyX</a>
#tup #tuptr

Synopsis:Out on Thursdays,The Usual Place host Natasha Ann Zachariah hunts for new perspectives on issues that matter to young people.

Podcaster: Natasha Ann Zachariah

Produced and edited by: Teo Tong Kai & Eden Soh

Executive producers: Ernest Luis & Lynda Hong

A podcast by The Straits Times, SPH Media.

Synopsis: Out on Thursdays, The Usual Place host Natasha Ann Zachariah hunts for new perspectives on issues that matter to young people.
Podcaster: Natasha Ann Zachariah
Produced and edited by: Teo Tong Kai &amp; Eden Soh
Executive producers: Ernest Luis &amp; Lynda Hong
A podcast by The Straits Times, SPH Media.

The Usual Place

Synopsis:The Usual Place host Natasha Ann Zachariah hunts for new perspectives on issues that matter to young people.

Podcaster: Natasha Ann Zachariah

Produced and edited by: Teo Tong Kai & Eden Soh

Executive producers: Ernest Luis & Lynda Hong

A podcast by The Straits Times, SPH Media

Synopsis: The Usual Place host Natasha Ann Zachariah hunts for new perspectives on issues that matter to young people.
Podcaster: Natasha Ann Zachariah
Produced and edited by: Teo Tong Kai &amp; Eden Soh
Executive producers: Ernest Luis &amp; Lynda Hong
A podcast by The Straits Times, SPH Media

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