Are young Hongkongers choosing to pursue public rental flats over their dreams?

Hongkonger John Chan* was 18 and still in secondary school when he put his name down for a public rental flat, knowing there would be a long wait.

He had just become eligible, there was no cost in applying and he was tired of being squeezed in the family home with six others.

Now 30, a graduate and working for a social enterprise, he is still waiting for a flat. He said if there was a danger that his income would make him ineligible, he would quit to stay in the queue.

Chan is among a group of young Hongkongers for whom scoring a public rental flat beats trying to rent or buy anything else in one of the world’s most expensive housing markets.

By applying early, they get a head start in the public housing queue. They also meet the income criteria of HK$12,940 (US$1,660) for a single applicant or HK$19,730 for a two-person household. It is legal too.

The phenomenon has sparked debate recently, with officials advising young people to stop applying too early for public housing, while younger people and others concerned argued the practice reflected the severe shortage of housing options in the city.

Officials who highlighted and criticised the phenomenon in recent months said young people were gambling with their future and disregarding their job prospects.