The Housing Department Director, Stanley Ho, announced yesterday that the first batch of “Simplified Public Housing” will start accepting applications on the 24th of this month. The units are located on Yau Oi Road in Yuen Long and Choi Hing Road in Ngau Tau Kok, totaling over 4,400 units with monthly rents ranging from $740 to $2,650. It is expected that the earliest move-ins will be in the first quarter of next year.
Stanley Ho stated that individuals who have been on the public housing waiting list for 3 years or more are eligible to apply for “Simplified Public Housing.” The applications will be processed based on a scoring system with a base score of 100 points, with additional points given for various factors such as living in poor conditions, health conditions, family situations, and choosing between the New Territories or urban areas. For instance, living in rooftop structures or subdivided units, being disabled or having health issues, having elderly or newborns, and selecting the New Territories or urban areas will earn applicants extra points.
Approximately 85,000 eligible public housing applicants will receive the application forms from the Housing Department by June 24 or earlier, with the application deadline set for July 15. The period from June 24 to July 15 is designated as a priority processing period. Stanley Ho recommends that individuals in urgent need of improving their living conditions should submit their applications before July 15. However, applications submitted after this date will still be processed.
Successful applicants will be notified by the fourth quarter of this year, while those who were not allocated a unit will have their information retained for processing future rounds of “Simplified Public Housing” applications.
Stanley Ho explained that the implementation of the scoring system is not due to concerns about low occupancy rates in the New Territories, but rather to encourage residents currently living in urban areas like Sham Shui Po and Tsuen Wan to consider relocating to the New Territories. This scoring system aims to promote a more balanced distribution of residents and streamline the project process. As for the number of anticipated applicants, Ho mentioned that they would refrain from making vague estimations.
The smallest 2-person units on Yau Oi Road in Yuen Long will have a monthly rent of $740, while the 2-person units on Choi Hing Road in Ngau Tau Kok will be $1,110, and the 4-person units will be $2,650. Each project has reserved 30% of outdoor space for children and tenants to engage in activities and is equipped with multi-functional activity rooms and shops. In terms of transportation, negotiations with the Transport Department and bus companies have been conducted to increase bus and minibus services.
Regarding the distribution of 1- to 2-person units, Stanley Ho mentioned that the decision was based on the experience with transitional housing. It was observed that there is a higher demand for smaller units in the New Territories, while larger units are more sought after in urban areas. Consequently, Yau Oi Road in Yuen Long consists of 80% small units, whereas Choi Hing Road in Ngau Tau Kok has approximately 66% small units, with 3 to 4-person units and 4 to 5-person units each accounting for over 10%.