bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

moreOnThisArticles

urlAlias

commentCount

sponsorType

authorLocations

authors

paywallTypes

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

socialHeadline

headline

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

publishedDate

additionalInfoBoxes

images

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

createdDate

sponsor

factSheets

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

copyrighted

customTimezone

liveContents

Vivian Au

New and expecting mothers are among those competing to buy a Hong Kong home in the first round of subsidised flat sales since a scheme was revamped to encourage families to have children by providing them priority access to the purchases.
Applications for the Home Ownership Scheme opened on Thursday, with those eligible entering a ballot system.
Serena Chau, an administrative worker who is 22 weeks pregnant, was among those trying her luck and said this would be her first time to apply for subsidised housing.
“I am applying for the newly launched scheme that prioritises newborns for home selection. This initiative significantly increases my chance of securing a home,” she said.
The Housing Authority has put up for sale 7,132 new subsidised homes this year under the scheme to help residents purchase affordable flats. The homes are expected to be completed between this year and 2027.
The prices of the homes are set between HK$1.43 million (US$183,400) and HK$4.67 million, 30 per cent off the market price, with sizes ranging from 186 sq ft to 510 sq ft.
Authorities will reserve 40 per cent of the flats for households with elderly members and families with newborns. These groups will also be given priority when it comes to selecting homes.
The Housing Department told the Post that the Housing Authority had received 160 paper applications and about 6,500 online application forms as of 5pm.
Hopefuls have until October 23 to submit their applications.
The move to give priority to families with newborns is part of a government drive to boost the city’s birth rate.
Families with children aged three years or under at the time of application and those with children born on or after October 25 last year will have a better chance to secure a home in the coming sales than the rest of the eligible population.
Expecting mother Chau said a comfortable living environment was one of the factors she would consider when deciding whether to have another child.
“If I am lucky enough to be selected to buy the flat, I might consider having a second child,” she said.
She added she was aiming to secure a home at Kai Ying Court in Kai Tak as the estate was near an MTR station and she would not consider other locations as they were too remote.

“The prices of subsidised flats remain appealing compared with private homes in the district,” she said, when asked about the discount being smaller than that of last year.
She noted private homes in Kai Tak were expensive and nearly double the price of subsidised ones.
This year, 7,132 properties are being sold at a 30 per cent discount in Kai Tak, Yau Tong, Kwun Tong, Tuen Mun and Tung Chung.
But the discount was steeper last year, with successful buyers able to get 38 per cent off market prices for 9,154 subsidised flats across six sites in Kai Tak, Kwun Tong, Tuen Mun and Yuen Long.
Construction industry worker Apple Yung, who is in her forties and has a son aged 6½ months, said she was applying for subsidised housing for the first time.
“I am applying for the flat because the government offers priority for newborns in home selection,” she said, adding her pregnancy came before the government announced the scheme.
She said the scheme could help encourage families to have children and she hoped to secure a home in this round of sales.
“The down payment [for subsidised flats] is lower than private flats,” she said, adding that the prices were more affordable.
So Chung-chi, a cook in his forties, was also among the early birds and said he was aiming to buy a home in Kai Tak.
“We are aiming for Kai Ying Court. It will be more convenient for me to go to work and I am more familiar with the nearby environment,” said So, who currently lives in Hung Hom.
He added this would be the third time applying and he would stay calm while he awaited the results.
“I prefer newly built homes, so I would like to apply for subsidised housing,” he said, pointing to worries about homes on the second-hand market having maintenance issues and significant upkeep costs.

He said he believed the competition was less intense due to the recent decline in home prices.
“I am not concerned about how the economic situation will affect the flat price,” he said.
He said the flat was intended for personal use instead of investment.
Hairstylist Li Yiu-ming, 68, said he came to get application details for his 27-year-old son, with hopes to buy a home as a wedding present.
“I plan to buy a subsidised flat for my son if possible,” he said.
He added his son had been applying for around five years and was not confident he would succeed this time.
“I will help my son to pay the mortgage,” he said, adding that his income was around HK$40,000 a month.
He was also hoping for a home at Kai Ying Court to take advantage of its newly built facilities and convenient transport network. He said that other estates including those in Tuen Mun and Tung Chung were too far from the city centre.


30,000 village homes inspected in Hong Kong have illegal structures: minister

Hong Kong will not restore land-sale scheme axed in 2013, official says

Hong Kong Housing Society reclaims 30 rental flats from well-off tenants

Owners of Hong Kong properties with illegal additions cannot ‘buy their way out’

Hong Kong housing

New Hong Kong mothers sign up to buy subsidised flats in revamped scheme to boost birth rate

Hopefuls have until October 23 to submit their applications. Photo: Edmond So

Potential buyers pick up applications forms for the Home Ownership Scheme. Photo: Edmond So

This year, 7,132 properties are being sold at a 30 per cent discount in Kai Tak, Yau Tong, Kwun Tong, Tuen Mun and Tung Chung. Photo: Edmond So

Hong Kong sales plan for 2024 subsidised flats revealed, but is deal sweet enough to tempt?

Kai Ying Court in Kai Tak, one of the new Home Ownership Scheme developments. Photo: Elson Li

Subsidised housing deals in Hong Kong compare favourably to similar schemes in Singapore.  Photo: Bloomberg

New batch of Hong Kong subsidised flats still good deal even with lower discount, advisers say

Flats will be offered at five sites, including one in Kai Tak. Photo: Elson Li

News

Hong Kong

Society

Authorities reserving 40 per cent of subsidised flats on sale for households with elderly members and families with newborns


Authorities reserving 40 per cent of subsidised flats on sale for households with elderly members and families with newborns.
