Hong Kong pilot scheme to turn hotel, guest-house rooms into temporary housing for low-income residents attracts at least 10 inquiries

Housing officials say the government is seeking HK$95 million funding from the Community Care Fund for the plan

Scheme has target of 800 rooms and government will look into rents being capped at 25 per cent of tenants’ income

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The average waiting time for public housing in Hong Kong is 5.7 years. Photo: Sam Tsang

Published: 7:23pm, 25 Feb 2021Updated: 7:22pm, 25 Feb 2021

A pilot scheme to turn underused hotels and guest houses into temporary housing for low-income Hongkongers has drawn at least 10 inquiries, while rent levels could be capped at 25 per cent of tenants’ income.

Housing officials told lawmakers during a briefing on Thursday that the government was seeking HK$95 million (US$12.2 billion) funding from the Community Care Fund for the plan.

The scheme, announced by Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor in her policy address in November, aims to subsidise hotels hard hit by the coronavirus pandemic if they rent rooms as transitional homes for people waiting a long time for public housing, with non-government organisations also involved.

About 153,900 general applications for public rental housing remained outstanding at the end of December. Photo: Felix Wong

More than 10 inquiries were received from guest houses, according to Carlson Chan Ka-shun, special duties director at the Transport and Housing Bureau.

While lawmakers expressed general support, some also raised concerns on how the scheme would be carried out.

Tourism sector lawmaker Yiu Si-wing said the hotel industry was concerned about several issues, including where responsibility would lie for the cost of turning rooms into homes and restoring them back to their original condition after withdrawal from the plan.

Hong Kong pilot scheme to turn hotel, guest-house rooms into temporary housing for low-income residents attracts at least 10 inquiries

Housing officials say the government is seeking HK$95 million funding from the Community Care Fund for the plan Scheme has target of 800 rooms and government will look into rents being capped at 25 per cent of tenants’ income

Housing officials say the government is seeking HK$95 million funding from the Community Care Fund for the plan

Scheme has target of 800 rooms and government will look into rents being capped at 25 per cent of tenants’ income