Over 10,100 people filed applications for the 4,400 Light Public Housing units available in the program’s initial stage, with the priority application period set to close on Monday.
In a social media post published on Sunday, Secretary for Housing Winnie Ho Wing-yin called the response “overwhelming”, as the number of applications submitted was double the quota provided by the program. The Housing Bureau said on Monday that 10,119 applications were submitted.
Successful applicants will be able to move into their new homes — located at two developments in Yau Pok Road, Yuen Long and Ngau Tau Kok’s Choi Hing Road — from the first quarter of 2025 at the earliest, with monthly rents ranging from HK$740 ($94.8) to HK$2,650 based on sizes
Successful applicants will be able to move into their new homes — located at two developments in Yau Pok Road, Yuen Long and Ngau Tau Kok’s Choi Hing Road — from the first quarter of 2025 at the earliest, with monthly rents ranging from HK$740 ($94.8) to HK$2,650 based on sizes.
Those who choose to move into LPH units will not lose their position in the queue for traditional public rental housing.
On Saturday, Ho, accompanied by lawmaker Joephy Chan Wing-yan and several district councilors, went to Tsuen Wan and briefed residents on the application procedures for the LPH units.
Ho said she had learnt that many people have expressed an interest in applying for LPH units to improve their living conditions, and some have said they are concerned about not being able to adapt to their new living environment. Ho told residents that the infrastructure in the LPH communities and support from social workers and the neighborhood will help them relocate smoothly.
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She also urged eligible residents — who must have been waiting for traditional public rental housing for at least three years — to file any last-minute applications by Monday to be in the running for an earlier opportunity to improve their living conditions.
In his 2022 Policy Address, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu announced the Light Public Housing program, aimed at addressing the short-term public housing shortage and enhance the living conditions of those residing in inadequate housing by building over 30,000 LPH units within five years.
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The LPH units, as transitional housing catering to applicants who have been waiting for traditional public housing units for over three years, are being built on government-owned land and private land that has not been designated for long-term development. The units are based on simple, standardized designs and built using the Modular Integrated Construction approach to expedite the construction time, according to the government.
Despite the size of the LPH units, each will have an individual restroom, shower and cooking areas, and an electric water heater and exhaust fan.
The first batch of 4,400 LPH units was opened to applications on June 24. Those who submit their application, whether through the internet, by mail or in person, on or before July 15 will be handled as a priority.
