2025-02-21 28Hse Editor
Waiting for public housing can feel endless. As of the end of March 2024, the average waiting time for public housing is 5.7 years. To address this prolonged wait, the government has introduced ‘Light Public Housing’, with the first batch of applications opening on June 24.
The first batch includes projects on Yau Pok Road in Yuen Long and Choi Hing Road in Ngau Tau Kok, offering a total of 4,440 units. The Yau Pok Road project provides 2,150 units, including one- to two-person and three- to four-person units. The rent is 10% less than New Territories public housing, ranging from HK$740 to HK$1,420 per month, with occupancy starting in the first quarter of 2025.
The Choi Hing Road project offers 2,290 units, including one- to two-person, three- to four-person, and four- to five-person units. The rent is 10% less than urban public housing, ranging from HK$1,100 to HK$2,650 per month, with occupancy expected in the second quarter of 2025.
A total of 85,000 eligible applicants, those who have been on the public housing waiting list for three years or more, will receive application forms from the Housing Bureau. Forms submitted between June 24 and July 15 will be given priority. Applications submitted after July 16 will still be accepted by the Housing Bureau.
Applicants will be ranked based on their scores, and housing units will be allocated randomly by computer. The first batch of conditional allocation notices will be sent out starting in the fourth quarter of this year. Applicants who accept the allocation will undergo eligibility verification, and upon project completion, the operating organization will issue move-in notices.
If an applicant declines the initial allocation, a second allocation will be conducted within 15 working days. Each applicant has up to three allocation opportunities. Refusal of all three will result in no further allocations for the same Light Public Housing Scheme project.
The allocation priority is determined by a point system, starting with a base of 100 points per applicant. There are four bonus point categories:
(1) Inadequate Housing: 5 to 30 points; (2) Household Members: 5 to 20 points for having elderly members, minors, or newborns; (3) Health Issues: 10 points for severe health conditions affecting work ability; (4) Location Preference: 30 points for opting exclusively for non-urban units, 15 points for choosing both New Territories/Extended Urban and Urban units, and no points for choosing only urban units.
Note that light public housing units have an open-plan design with no partitioned rooms. Tenants cannot damage walls, including drilling holes or painting, nor install partitions, subject to lease terms. To avoid the need for wall drilling, units come with pre-installed simple wall shelves.
Interested eligible applicants can consider applying by submitting a completed application form without any supporting documents. However, it is recommended to prepare income, asset, address, and health-related documents (if applicable) for submission upon successful allocation.
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