Govt target to cut public housing wait to under 4 yrs

Chief Executive John Lee announced the government's goal to reduce public housing waiting times to under four years by 2030. Currently, the average wait is 4.5 years as of 2026-27. To achieve this, the government plans to increase public housing supply to 196,000 flats over the next five years, with 30,000 Light Public Housing units included in this figure.

Additionally, the government aims to eliminate substandard subdivided flats by 2030. Lee emphasized the importance of implementing the basic housing unit regime to significantly boost public housing supply, which aligns with the long-term housing strategy. The government also intends to crack down on public housing abuse and expedite the turnover of public housing, while continuing to prioritize community care and swift responses to disadvantaged residents' needs.

The government aims to have public rental housing account for 40% of total housing supply in the next decade, with subsidized sale flats and private homes each comprising 30%. Smart construction technologies, such as modular integrated construction, will be promoted to increase production efficiency. Lee also highlighted the government's plan to release 2,500 hectares of spade-ready sites for development over the next decade, with 1,400 hectares becoming available within five years.

Officials will adopt a new mindset on urban redevelopment, using land in new development areas to support the revitalization of older districts. The Urban Renewal Authority (URA) will allocate at least HK$40 billion for its initiatives in the next five years.