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Express Flat Allocation Scheme

Express Flat Allocation Scheme (EFAS) (July 2008) - Updates

The application for the Express Flat Allocation Scheme (July 2008) was closed. Acknowledgement letters have been issued upon the receipt of applications. If the applicants fail to receive the acknowledgement letter before 22 August 2008, they should call our Hotline (Tel: 2712 2712) for assistance.

Flat Selection is tentatively scheduled to be held in two batches at around late September 2008 to November 2008. The first batch is for 2 heads or above families and the second batch is for one-person applicants. If the flat selection cannot be held as scheduled, we will disseminate the messages through the HA/HD's website and relevant newspapers. Notice will not be made to individual applicants.

Highlights of Express Flat Allocation Scheme (EFAS)

1.	In the process of public housing allocation, Waiting List (WL) applications are strictly processed in accordance with the priority of the applications on the WL and the applicants' choice of district; or based on the quota set and the points scored for non-elderly one-person applicants under Quota and Points System (QPS), depending on the nature of the WL applications. However, under the Express Flat Allocation Scheme (EFAS), holders of valid WL applications who fulfill the eligibility criteria of the Scheme may have an earlier chance to be allocated public rental housing units.
2.	The EFAS is launched according to available housing resources and flat selection will be arranged. According to the prevailing General Waiting List policies and procedures, eligible applicants cannot request for allocation beyond their selected district or in a specific sub-district or a particular estate. There is no locality restriction for EFAS applicants who can choose flats in any sub-districts from the list of flats available for selection. However, applicant can only select a flat in accordance with the allocation standard of each flat displayed for selection with reference to the number of family members on his / her WL application (the computerized record of application should prevail).
3.	The flats offered for selection include vacant rental units in the older public housing estates in various districts, including Tuen Mun, the Islands and the New Territories. Some are in the Urban area and the Extended Urban area. These units are considered to be desirable in terms of surroundings, transportation network, community service, shopping and medical facilities, etc. Only a small number of them involved unpleasant incidents, while floor level, orientation or the internal structural design of some units may be less desirable. For example, Po Tin Estate and Tin Yan Estate Phase 1 in the New Territories have toilets that are smaller than those in other public housing units.
4.	Rent Reduction Period: Tenants who take up public rental housing (PRH) flats with valid vacancy period of 12 months or more but below 24 months will be granted a rent-free period of 4 months (inclusive rent) in the form of reduced rent at 50% for 8 months. For flats with valid vacancy period of 24 months or above, a rent-free period of 6 months (inclusive rent) in the form of reduced rent at 50% for 12 months will be offered. Upon selecting a flat, applicants are required to sign an undertaking to acknowledge that they cannot request for a transfer within three years from the date of commencement of the tenancy agreement in respect of the selected flat (including under the Living Space Improvement Transfer Scheme). HD may exercise discretion for special cases verified by relevant departments / organization, or transfers upon demand of the Housing Department or on ground of overcrowding relief.
5.	Having accepted the flat through EFAS, the applicant and his / her family members cannot request for any transfer within three years from the commencement date of the tenancy agreement (including under the Living Space Improvement Transfer Scheme). HD may exercise discretion for special cases verified by relevant departments / organization, or transfers upon demand of the HD or on ground of overcrowding relief.
6.	For those Green Form (GF) applicants who obtain a Public Rental Housing (PRH) unit through this phase and subsequent EFAS exercises, if they apply for the purchase of surplus Home Ownership Scheme (HOS) flats within 3 years from intake of their PRH unit, then they will be treated as if they were White Form applicants in the flat selection order and will be put under the White Form queue. Upon purchase of an HOS flat, this category of GF applicants, similar to other GF applicants, will have to surrender their PRH units to the HA.
7.	For applicants / members whose PRHs' tenancies have been terminated resulting in 2 year debarment restriction in GWL applications and is still within the 2 year debarment period, they are not eligible to join this Scheme (except with special approval). For those debarment records being created after the application closing date, the EFAS applications will also be cancelled accordingly. (PRH includes Interim Housing)
8.	For applicants who are blacklisted because of departure from PRH with rent arrears unsettled and fail to settle the outstanding debts, the ex-tenant or any adult members of such households are not allowed to attend the flat selection procedures unless all rent arrears and debts incurred have been settled before their scheduled flat selection date under the Scheme. Failing which the EFAS application will be cancelled. (PRH includes Interim Housing)
9.	If the applicant refuses the housing offer upon completion of flat selection procedures and being issued with an offer letter, or fails to turn-up for completing intake formalities at the concerned Estate Office, his WL application will be recorded with one unreasonable refusal. According to the prevailing policy, if the applicant rejects all of the three housing offers without giving 'acceptable reasons', his application will be cancelled. For details, please refer to Information for Applicants of Waiting List for Public Rental Housing.
10.	Applicants who have not attended the flat selection procedures, or have not selected a flat during the flat selection, will not be accorded with one count of 'Unreasonable Refusal'. It will not affect their public housing application which will continue with the normal course in accordance with the prevailing Waiting List policies and procedures provided that the application is still valid.
11.	If the WL application has been verified as eligible for public housing and the application is ready for allocation (except for frozen cases), joining this scheme will not affect the chance of being allocated a flat under the normal queue. It is thus possible that offer letter will be issued under his / her normal WL application, inviting the applicant to complete the intake formalities. In that case, the applicant has to decide whether to accept the offer or not. If he / she accepts the offer and completes all the intake formalities, his / her EFAS application will be cancelled. If the applicant refuses the offer, his / her EFAS application will not be affected provided that he / she still holds valid housing offer(s) upon that refusal.

For enquiry, please contact: Housing Authority Hotline
Telephone: 2712 2712

Last revision date: 8 August 2008