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Lo Hoi-ying

Cleaner Suen Wai-keung*, 57, has been waiting 16 years for a Hong Kong public housing flat, but does not expect to hear good news about his application any time soon.
Earning about HK$12,000 (US$1,540) a month, he spends nearly a quarter of his income, or HK$2,900, on renting a termite-infested cubicle in Sham Shui Po, sharing a kitchen and a bathroom with a dozen others.
“How much longer do I need to live in my cubicle? Is being single a sin?” Suen said.
He is one of the 91,000 single applicants aged under 60 hoping to secure a public housing flat.
“There are no benefits for us at all. Unless you live to an old age, you will never get to live in public housing,” he said.
“I hope the government will not be so negligent towards us singles.”
Suen was among the residents and advocates who appeared at a press conference on Sunday organised by the Society for Community Organisation (SoCO) to address the preferential treatment of the elderly or families compared with singles aged below 60 in housing policies.
A survey by SoCO found that two-thirds of the 131 respondents had been living in subdivided homes for more than six years, and 58 per cent expected to still be living there in the next five years.
Fewer than 1 per cent of the respondents said they believed they would eventually purchase a government-subsidised flat, said deputy director Sze Lai-shan.

“This shows that the underprivileged non-elderly singles will not be able to improve their housing situation without the intervention of government policies,” she said.
The average waiting time for a public rental flat for general applicants – families or elderly households – remained unchanged at 5½ years in the third quarter of 2024.
Half of those surveyed were divorcees or estranged from their families and faced mental stress from being financially self-sufficient while working low-paying jobs, Sze added.
Current housing policies, including cash subsidies, do not benefit non-elderly singles, who are also ineligible for temporary “light public housing” flats.
These temporary homes are allocated only to elderly or family applicants who have waited more than three years for a public housing flat.
According to data from SoCO, the 91,000 single applicants under 60 make up 43 per cent of all public housing applicants, but only 2,200 flats are allocated to the group each year based on a points system linked to the applicant’s age.


“But housing needs are not wholly related to age and the mechanism should consider their current living environment,” Sze said. “The government should relax its requirements for non-elderly singles and increase the public housing quota for such applicants.”
Wong Siu-mui*, also 57, lives in a subdivided home and pays HK$4,100 a month in rent.
The divorcee said she had been living in the 70 sq ft flat for nearly a decade and had to regularly clean up debris from the crumbling walls and ceiling.
Wong earns HK$12,000 a month cleaning residential buildings in Kai Tak, often taking home discarded branded clothing and electronics, which are often in perfect condition.
She joined the queue for a public housing flat more than two years ago, but because of her single, non-elderly status, she is unable to apply for one of the temporary “light” homes.
“It is unfair that us singles do not get any benefits. I try my best to make a living without applying for government welfare,” she said.
* Names changed at interviewees’ request


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Hong Kong housing

16-year wait for Hong Kong public housing? Singles under 60 bemoan ‘negligent’ policies

Wong Siu-mui pays HK$4,100 a month to rent her 70 sq ft subdivided home. Photo: May Tse

The Society for Community Organisation held a press conference to draw attention to put the spotlight on non-elderly single residents. Photo: May Tse

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A “coffin cubicle” flat in Sham Shui Po. Photo: Eugene Lee

Secretary for Housing Winnie Ho has said the government will start the legislative process next year to phase out flats that do not meet the requirements. Photo: Xiaomei Chen

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Hong Kong has 110,000 subdivided flats. Photo: Dickson Lee

Deputy Financial Secretary Michael Wong has defended the government’s proposals to tackle subdivided housing. Photo: Sun Yeung

Hong Kong public housing providers to be investigated by watchdog over reallocation delays

The investigation will focus on speeding up the government’s public housing recovery process. Photo: Handout

Ombudsman Jack Chan has said his office will provide recommendations for improving the relocation process following the investigation. Photo: Handout

News

Hong Kong

Society

‘Is being single a sin,’ asks one resident, who is among those saying they are being left behind by focus on families and elderly


‘Is being single a sin,’ asks one resident, who is among those saying they are being left behind by focus on families and elderly.
