50,000 Hongkongers flock to get details of subsidised Home Ownership Scheme flats
Some potential applicants say they're unhappy with the design; others may help buy flats for their children, who can't afford private units
Nearly 50,000 Hongkongers flocked to get information on some 2,000 Home Ownership Scheme flats yesterday - the first day it was on offer - after a decade-long halt to the policy and at a time when the private market is out of reach for many.
At 7pm last night, hundreds of people were still lining up outside the Housing Authority information centre in Lok Fu, waiting for sale documents. An authority spokesman said the huge numbers meant long waits to get hold of the documents. He noted that they were also available online.
Some 49,000 sales brochures were handed out by 5pm yesterday, along with 38,000 application forms, the authority said.
Two 438 sq ft show flats also went on display yesterday at the Domain shopping mall in Yau Tong. They will remain there until January 18.
Housing Authority member Nelson Wong Sing-chi said the overwhelming response was expected. "It has been so long since the government last built new HOS flats and many residents have been waiting for affordable home ownership flats over these years," Wong said. "Moreover, [Chief Executive] Leung Chun-ying's measures have failed to control high property prices in the private market so people can only turn to the HOS."
The government halted the sale of new HOS flats in 2003 amid plunging property prices.
