{
  "id": 9277536,
  "title": "Shorter public housing queue by 2027: housing chief",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/23/shorter-public-housing-queue-by-2027-housing-chief-9277536",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-23T04:53:15.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "RTHK English",
    "slug": "rthk-english",
    "url": "https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1871209-20260923.htm"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Housing Secretary Winnie Ho expressed optimism regarding the reduction of public housing waiting times to 4.5 years by the end of the government's term. This goal was announced by Chief Executive John Lee during the Policy Address earlier this month. The government's broader target is to reduce the waiting time to under four years by 2030. During a discussion on a Commercial Radio programme, Ho clarified that while waiting times may fluctuate due to uncontrollable factors such as the annual completion and recovery of housing units, she maintains confidence in achieving the 4.5-year target by 2026-27. She emphasized the importance of a \"stable and balanced housing ladder\" which necessitates dynamic assessment and adjustment. Ho recognized the pivotal role of the Northern Metropolis in housing supply, citing its availability of large and flat land plots. She posited that each residential estate could house 5,000 to 6,000 units, thus proving highly cost-effective.",
  "summary": "Housing Secretary Winnie Ho on Wednesday said she is confident the waiting time for public housing could be cut to 4.5 years by the end of the government's term next year. This came after Chief Executive John Lee announced the target in the Policy Address this month. The government also aims to cut the waiting time to less than four years by 2030. Speaking on a Commercial Radio programme, Ho said…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "RTHK News",
        "title": "Shorter public housing queue by 2027: housing chief",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/23/shorter-public-housing-queue-by-2027-housing-chief",
        "published": "2026-09-23T04:53:15.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}