Hong Kong’s Composite Waiting Time for Subsidised Rental Housing (CWT) has fallen to 4.7 years, marking its lowest level in more than eight years, according to the latest figures released by the Housing Bureau (HB).
This updated figure reflects the average waiting time for general applicants who were allocated either traditional public rental housing (PRH) or Light Public Housing (LPH) over the 12-month period ending in March.
Compared to a peak of 6.1 years recorded before the current administration took office, the wait time has been slashed by nearly a year and a half. This milestone also marks the first time the wait has dipped below the five-year mark in recent years.
According to the bureau, a total of 8,400 general applicants were successfully housed during the first quarter of this year. This allocation comprised 1,200 newly completed PRH flats, alongside about 3,300 recovered units and roughly 3,900 LPH units.
Notably, about 47 percent of successful applicants moved into LPH units, representing a significant 16 percent rise from the previous quarter.
Since the average waiting time for general applicants housed in LPH over the past 12 months has dropped to just three years, the rising proportion of LPH allocations has effectively helped drive down the overall composite waiting time.
Meanwhile, the government’s total housing supply has doubled. Since the LPH scheme began its initial allocations last March, the supply has surged to about 7,500 units per quarter—a stark jump from the roughly 3,500 units available prior to the current administration's tenure.
Looking ahead, the overall production of public housing—inclusive of LPH units—is projected to reach approximately 196,000 units over the next five years. This represents an 80 percent increase compared to the start of the current government's term.
As for LPH, approximately 9,650 units have already been completed and fully occupied by the first quarter of 2026, with an additional 20,150 and 200 units set for completion by 2026 and 2027, respectively.
The bureau expressed strong confidence that Hong Kong is steadily on track to meet its target of completing 30,000 LPH units by the 2027/28 financial year.
Describing the current wave of public housing production as "completely reversing the back-loaded situation," the bureau reaffirmed the authorities' commitment to further reducing the composite waiting time to 4.5 years by 2026/27 to better serve the urgent housing needs of low-income families.
