Hong Kong public rental housing wait edges up to 4.8 years, urban allocations rise

Hong Kong's composite waiting time for subsidized public rental housing rose slightly to 4.8 years by the end of June, according to authorities. The Housing Bureau reported that a larger share of sought-after homes in urban areas were allocated in the second quarter. Despite the increase in the composite figure, the average waiting time for general applicants – families or single elderly people – to secure a standard public rental home fell by 0.1 years to 5.5 years compared to the first quarter.

Single elderly applicants still had an average waiting time of 3.9 years. The bureau attributed the slight rise in the composite waiting time to a positive sign, as applicants who had waited longer in urban areas received homes. As of June, about 3,200 general applicants, including 330 single senior residents, were housed in standard public rental homes.

A total of 100,500 general applications were still waiting for a standard public rental home. Between April and June, over 4,400 general applicants were housed across various types of homes. The bureau noted that 74% of allocated homes were in urban areas, up from 69% in the first quarter, and the majority – 81% – of recovered standard public rental homes were in urban areas.

The bureau acknowledged that longer waiting times in districts like these contributed to the slight increase in the composite waiting time. Light public housing, an initiative aimed at providing affordable homes for families waiting over three years for standard public rental homes, has helped shorten the composite waiting time.

So far, around 9,650 light public flats have been occupied, with a total of 19,130 units planned by 2027-28. Housing panel deputy chairman Scott Leung expressed optimism about the trend of improving public housing wait times and hopes for further reductions in standard public rental flat wait times to three years.