John Lee denies conspiracy theories over adjusting Home Ownership Scheme forms ratio

Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said on Sunday that the adjustment of the ratio between Green and White Forms for the Home Ownership Scheme (HOS) flats is intended to encourage more public housing tenants to purchase homes but not aim to stimulate the property market.

The city leader's comments come after the Green Form and White Form ratio for HOS will be revised from 4:6 to 5:5, as announced in the latest policy address.

He highlighted that the initiative serves a dual purpose by helping two households at once as it could accelerate the turnover of public housing flats by motivating more tenants to buy their own homes.

Addressing concerns about intensified competition among White Form applicants, which could be deemed as boosting the market, Lee denied the conspiracy theories and highlighted the need for flexible housing arrangements. 

He assured that any unused Green Form quotas would be redirected to White Form applicants.

Lee expressed confidence in improving the public housing supply over the next three years and mentioned the role of Light Public Housing in transitional periods. 

Regarding rising prices for new private housing after relaxing mortgage limits, Lee stressed the importance of a healthy market and noted no current signs of property speculation.

In addition, the CE asserted that regulating Subdivided Units would not reduce support for affected residents, hoping for a structured phase-out process over the coming years.