In order to reflect more comprehensively the effectiveness of the Government in improving the living conditions of the public through providing different types of subsidised rental housing, the Chief Executive announced in 2022 Policy Address that Composite Waiting Time for Subsidised Rental Housing (CWT) would be introduced to calculate the composite waiting time* of public rental housing (PRH) general applicants (i.e. family and elderly one-person applicants) for receiving the first offer of PRH or Light Public Housing (LPH) units.
As at end-June 2025, the CWT for general applicants that were housed to PRH or LPH in the past 12 months has decreased by 0.2 years from 5.3 years in last quarter to 5.1 years. Since the current-term Government took office, the waiting time has continued to decline, shortening by a full year to 5.1 years from the highest level of 6.1 years. Among which, the composite waiting time for elderly one-person applicants also decreased by 0.2 years to 3.1 years.
In the second quarter of 2025, about 4 900 general applicants were housed to PRH or LPH. Among which, the LPH project at Choi Hing Road in Ngau Tau Kok, being the first LPH project in urban area, has commenced intake by phases since 30 June 2025. It is anticipated that the CWT will be further lowered in the future. Among the residents who have recently moved into the LPH project at Choi Hing Road in Ngau Tau Kok, about 70% of them had been living in inadequate housing before (e.g. sub-divided units, rooftop houses and bedspaces, etc.). With the gradual completion of various PRH and LPH projects, the CWT will gradually decline, reflecting that PRH applicants will be allocated to adequate housing more quickly. Not only does this immediately help those families overcome the difficult situation, but also improves their living environment and quality of life, hence significantly relieving their rental burden, thereby embarking on a new chapter for the family, and even starting to have their own savings.
We will continue building PRH and take forward the remaining LPH projects proactively. It is anticipated that about 9 500 LPH units will be gradually completed for intake in 2025, gradually moving towards the target of completing the construction of about 30 000 LPH units by 2027-28. The target of reducing the CWT to 4.5 years by 2026-27 remains unchanged.
*CWT refers to the average of the waiting time of those general applicants (i.e. family applicants and elderly one-person applicants) who were housed to PRH or LPH in the past 12 months. It is not applicable to non-elderly one-person applicants under the Quota and Points System. Waiting time refers to the time taken between registration for PRH and first flat offer, excluding any frozen period during the application period (e.g. when the applicant has not yet fulfilled the residence requirement; the applicant has requested to put his/her application on hold pending arrival of family members for family reunion; the applicant is imprisoned, etc). If applicants take into account their waiting time under the Quota and Points System or their frozen period, they may perceive a longer waiting time than the CWT as announced by the Housing Bureau.
Design and construction works of all the 13 LPH projects have gradually commenced. The tenant intake for the first LPH project at Yau Pok Road in Yuen Long, providing about 2 100 units, was fully completed in mid-June 2025. The second LPH project at Choi Hing Road in Ngau Tau Kok, also being the first LPH project in urban area, has also commenced its tenant intake gradually since 30 June 2025. As at 4 August 2025, about 1 280 households have already collected the keys.
The Housing Bureau (HB) has so far awarded four LPH operation and management contracts, covering LPH projects at Yau Pok Road in Yuen Long; Choi Hing Road and Choi Shek Lane (i.e. the former St Joseph’s Anglo-Chinese School) in Ngau Tau Kok; Tsing Fuk Lane in Tuen Mun (i.e. Tuen Mun Area 3A); and Olympic Avenue in Kai Tak (Phase 1). Separately, HB is now evaluating tenders for the fifth and sixth operation and management contracts covering four school conversion projects and an LPH project at Sheung On Street in Chai Wan, respectively. HB will continue to invite tenders for the remaining operation and management contracts gradually.
As for the application, LPH Phase 1 application includes the projects at Yau Pok Road in Yuen Long and Choi Hing Road in Ngau Tau Kok, providing a total of about 4 440 units, have been open for application since June 2024. Phase 2 application covers the projects at Olympic Avenue in Kai Tak (Phase 1); Tsing Fuk Lane in Tuen Mun (i.e. Tuen Mun Area 3A); Shun On Road in Kwun Tong (converted from school premises) and Choi Yuen Road in Sheung Shui (converted from school premises), providing a total of about 5 060 units, have been open for application since 24 February 2025. As at end-July 2025, we received a total of about 22 220 applications.
For the AWT for PRH, please refer to the relevant webpage on the Hong Kong Housing Authority’s website.