A transitional housing scheme has received 9,600 applications since applications opened last month, more than double the number of flats available, Hong Kong’s housing minister has said.
Secretary for Housing Winnie Ho said on Sunday that applications for Light Public Housing (LPH) submitted by Monday would be prioritised. Those who were not allocated a flat in the first round will have priority when the next batch becomes available.
The LPH scheme was introduced by Chief Executive John Lee in his maiden Policy Address as a means to reduce the waiting time for government-subsidised public housing, which was 5.7 years on average as of March. Tenants can live in LPH units for a fixed term of two years. The flats are prefabricated and similar in size and layout to traditional public housing units.
The government had received some 9,600 applications from for the 4,400 flats, which Ho called an “enthusiastic” response.
The Housing Bureau will continue to take applications after Monday.
The first phase of LPH scheme includes projects on Yau Pok Road in Yuen Long and Choi Hing Road in Ngau Tau Kok, with units available from the first quarter of 2025.
Some 30,000 LPH flats will be made available by 2027-28.
Temporary stay
Under the means-tested housing scheme, which aims to alleviate the city’s housing crunch as the city works towards phasing out subdivided flats, tenants can live in the prefabricated LPH units for a fixed term of two years for relatively low rental costs.
The housing blocks will be taken down after about five years.
The Yuen Long project will provide 2,150 flats, with rent ranging between HK$740 to HK$1,420 a month, depending on the size of the unit. The Ngau Tau Kok project will offer 2,290 flats, and rents will range between HK$1,110 and HK$2,650.
Applicants must have been on the waiting list for public rental housing for three years.
“I encourage everyone to think about the benefits that a good environment with low rent can bring to their families, and not to miss out on this very good choice for themselves and their families,” Ho said.
Addressing residents’ concerns about the housing projects’ location, she said residents who moved to Yuen Long were able to adapt to the new environment with the help of management staff and neighbours.
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