Two priority housing policies approved to benefit families with newborns

The arrangement for families with newborns to be given priority in purchasing subsidized homes will be implemented in this year’s Home Ownership Scheme starting April. 

The Families with Newborns Flat Selection Priority Scheme was proposed by Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu in his second policy address last October in a bid to boost the plummeting birthrate. 

Forty percent of flats will be reserved for eligible applicants under the priority selection scheme and the Priority Scheme for Families with Elderly Members. 

The priority selection scheme will benefit families whose newborns were born on or after October 25 and are aged three or below before the application closes. 

This came after the Subsidized Housing Committee of the Housing Authority called a meeting on Thursday and passed the priority selection scheme, as well as the Families with Newborns Allocation Priority Scheme. 

The latter is expected to shorten the waiting time for public rental housing by a year for households that have toddlers born on or after October 25, and aged one or below. 

When asked why the priority selection will not be introduced to this year’s Green Form sale exercise, committee chairwoman Cleresa Wong Pie-yue pointed to technicalities like upgrading the computer system and unfinished preparations such as formulating internal guidelines and promotions. 

Wong also said the Housing Authority will offer 2,537 Green Form units for sale at 48 percent off market prices in the first quarter of this year. 

One of the projects is Lai Yuet Court in Cheung Sha Wan, offering 2,359 flats with saleable areas ranging between 280 and 646 square feet. 

The prices will range from HK$1.54 million to HK$4.61 million. 

The sale exercise will also include some 180 unsold flats from the previous cycle, such as Kai Chuen Court in Diamond Hill, Ko Wang Court in Yau Tong and Kam Pak Court in Ma On Shan.