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Vivian Au

Applications will open for more than 5,000 temporary Hong Kong public housing flats starting on Monday next week, with tenants expected to be able to move in from the fourth quarter of this year.
Secretary for Housing Winnie Ho Wing-yin revealed on Monday that the second phase of the “light public housing” scheme involved 5,060 flats, including renovated former school premises in Kwun Tong and Sheung Shui, plus homes located in Kai Tak and Tuen Mun.
Monthly rent for the flats will range from about HK$860 (US$110) to HK$3,270.
“Application forms submitted between February 24 and March 17 will be handled with priority,” Ho said.
The scheme’s second phase will cover four sites, including one in Kai Tak offering 2,970 flats of various sizes, such as homes for four to five people. The Kai Tak site is surrounded by community facilities and located less than 10 minutes from an MTR station.
The site in Tuen Mun will offer 1,850 flats of varying sizes.
The other two locations are renovated school campuses in Kwun Tong and Sheung Shui, which will provide 130 and 110 flats, respectively. Tenants will be only a five-minute walk from the nearest MTR or bus stations at both sites.
The minister said applications for the second phase would open on Monday next week, with successful candidates likely to be able to start moving in from the fourth quarter.
Ho said that data for the first round of the scheme showed an enthusiastic response, with authorities receiving about 14,200 applications as of mid-February.
The first batch comprised 4,440 light public housing flats located in Yuen Long and Ngau Tau Kok, with applications opening last June. Tenants will be able to move in from the first quarter of this year.

About 30,000 flats are expected to be built by 2027 under the scheme, with the policy aiming to cut the average waiting time for permanent public housing to 4½ years.
The waiting period for a permanent public rental flat is currently 5½ years on average.
Residents can only apply for light housing if they have been waiting three or more years for a permanent public flat, with additional consideration given to those with families or newborn children.
Ho on Monday also discussed a rewards scheme for those who provided information that allowed the government to reclaim misused public rental flats.
The Housing Authority in mid-January started offering up to HK$3,000 to anyone who submitted an actionable tip-off.
Ho said authorities had received about 800 reports so far, with the tip-offs all still being verified, meaning there were currently no instances of anyone receiving a cash reward.
In October 2023, the authority implemented a series of measures to tackle the abuse of public housing resources, including requiring tenants to make declarations about their assets and income every two years.
The government later said it had reclaimed about 15,500 public rental flats in the 2023-24 financial year, with nearly a fifth of the cases identified through mandatory declarations.
The tightened regulation was introduced after Kwong Kau, the former father-in-law of slain model Abby Choi Tin-fung, was discovered in 2023 to have owned a luxury home and a subsidised flat.


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A light public housing site under construction in Kai Tak. Photo: Jelly Tse

Some of the new flats are located on renovated school campuses. Photo: Jelly Tse

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Hong Kong plans to start regulating subdivided houses, with authorities hoping to get the proposed law passed this year. Photo: May Tse

Secretary for Housing Winnie Ho. Photo: Edmond So

Housing authorities will focus on building public flats on larger sites. Photo: Elson Li

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Sy Kiheo, his wife and son are sharing a 70 sq ft subdivided flat. Photo: May Tse

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The trend of young people seeking Hong Kong public housing had sparked concerns among city officials. Photo: Elson Li

Housing minister Winnie Ho has said that data shows a decline in youth applications for public housing. Photo: Edmond So

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Hong Kong

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Second phase of scheme to cover sites in Kai Tak and Tuen Mun, as well as renovated former schools in Kwun Tong and Sheung Shui


Second phase of scheme to cover sites in Kai Tak and Tuen Mun, as well as renovated former schools in Kwun Tong and Sheung Shui.


Hong Kong property

Hong Kong society