Hundreds of well-off housing tenants may lose units in new drive

Ayra Wang

A revised policy targeting well-off public housing tenants is expected to repossess hundreds of flats, the Housing Authority's subsidized housing committee chair Cleresa Wong Pie-yue said.

Each public housing household, on average, paid HK$2,297, per month in March.

Wong, on a radio program yesterday, said the "combination of measures" is designed to encourage well-off tenants to move out of public housing.

The changes include higher rents for affluent tenants and incentives to help them transition to private housing. The revised policy, approved on Friday, requires tenants to vacate their units if their household income exceeds five times the prevailing public rental housing income limits or if their total assets are more than 100 times the limit.

Tenants with incomes between two to five times the limit will face rents up to 4.5 times the net rent plus rates.

Based on the 2025-26 income and asset limits, a four-person household with income ranging from HK$62,000 to HK$93,000 will be required to pay 2.5 times the rent, which is HK$5,742 per month.

A household with an income between HK$124,000 and HK$155,000 will need to pay 4.5 times the rent - that means HK$10,336 per month.

If the households continuously have such a high level of income for four consecutive years, they must move out.

"Well-off tenants are the more capable group of public housing tenants with relatively stable income. The new policy will encourage them to transition out of public housing while streamlining administrative rules," Wong said.

For example, tenants who buy subsidized flats under the "white form" scheme or private properties can stay in their public housing units until their new homes are ready, avoiding the hassle of finding temporary accommodation.

Wong estimated that the changes could free up several hundred units, particularly for the highest-income group.

Lawmaker Lo Wai-kwok, a member of the committee, called the policy "spicy yet sweet," noting that while rents have increased, wealthier tenants can still afford the adjustments.

He praised the policy allowing tenants who voluntarily vacate their units to retain their Green Form Status for four years.