THE Housing Board (HDB) has announced that it will build another 2,000 rental flats, to cater to rising demand from needy families.

As at the end of last month, the HDB was managing about 43,000 one- and two-room rental flats for the Public Rental Scheme. It has set a goal of expanding this to 50,000 in three years.

Speaking at the HDB Annual Report 2007/2008 press conference, the board's chief executive Tay Kim Poh said rental housing was a key option for genuinely needy families unable to buy a flat.

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