Thousands hoping to take a step closer to light public housing units

The first batch of 4,400 light public housing units in Yuen Long and Ngau Tau Kok will accept applications on June 24, Secretary for Housing Winnie Ho Wing-yin said yesterday.

Nearly 85,000 eligible households on the public rental housing waiting list for more than three years will receive the application forms by post by next week, and those who submit the forms on or before July 15 will receive priority.

The monthly rent of the smallest two-person flat at the Yuen Long Yau Pok Road estate will be HK$740, and that of a four-person flat at the Ngau Tau Kok Choi Hing Road estate will be HK$2,650.

Subdivided unit residents, large households and applicants with health problems will be given priority based on points, as the Housing Bureau adopted a marking system to "offer practical assistance to the most needy in the community."

Those who have chosen public housing projects in the New Territories or extended urban areas such as Tuen Mun will receive extra points.

Ho said the light public housing flats are better than subdivided units because they come with windows and toilets.

"The environment as well as the leisure and living facilities of LPH are also much better - with small shops, launderettes, activity rooms and community service facilities for the convenience of residents."

Successful applicants will receive notifications from the fourth quarter for further verifications and intake arrangements.

Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong lawmaker Vincent Cheng Wing-shun, also the Legislative Council's housing panel deputy chairman, supports the system, saying it enables households living in inadequate housing to improve their living standards soon.

Cheng suggested increasing the number of larger units.

Cheng's partymate Chan Hok-fung hailed the first batch of LPH flats, which were delivered within a short period of time to provide residents living in subpar units with more suitable transitional accommodation while waiting for public rental housing.

Chan hopes the administration could meet the target of building 30,000 LPH flats in five years as scheduled to achieve the ultimate goal of "bidding farewell to subdivided units."

He emphasized that building traditional public rental flats will shorten the waiting time.

Some residents renting private housing flats said the LPH rents were reasonable, but were concerned about transportation.

Lau, a 50-year-old construction worker who has waited six years for a rental public housing unit, said he would rather stay in his flat instead of applying for the first batch of LPH, citing poor frequency of buses.

"I have to travel [to different sites], but sometimes only one bus comes every 20 minutes, and it may take another 40 minutes to get to the workplace."

Meanwhile, 23,598 public rental housing flats were allocated in 2023-24 fiscal year, according to the Housing Authority.

The authority estimated about 30,200 public rental housing flats, comprising 11,100 new flats and 19,100 recovered ones, will be available in this fiscal year.

stacy.shi@singtaonewscorp.com