Hong Kong Housing Authority and Housing Department

To meet the public’s aspirations for access to information through mobile devices, the Housing Department decided in 2016 to work on the first mobile application – “iHousing” – for public rental housing (PRH) tenants. After trials by the Information Technology Sub-division and detailed briefings for frontline colleagues by the Estate Management Division, iHousing was officially launched on 13 December 2017 to replace the Rent Enquiry Kiosks in estate offices, marking a new chapter in the development of our electronic services. The App will provide a wide range of services by phases. At the current phase, it covers essential services like rent enquiry and payment, and PRH tenants can also locate the nearby Estate Shroff Offices, convenience stores and supermarkets for rent payment by the Global Positioning System.

Before iHousing was rolled out, management colleagues of different estates had, through Estate Newsletters and Estate Management Advisory Committee (EMAC) meetings, briefed PRH residents of the service scope of the App and various promotional events. Beta Test sessions were held for EMAC representatives, who were also appointed as iHousing Ambassadors to assist in promoting the App in their estates. I would like to extend my gratitude to the EMAC representatives for their enthusiastic feedback in the sessions and their valuable comments on the App.

After the official launch of iHousing, our colleagues set up promotional booths in various estates. Lucky draws were organised to encourage PRH tenants to download and use the App. An award was presented to the estate with the highest usage rate during the biennial EMAC Seminar in March 2018. In the four months up to mid-April 2018, the download rate of iHousing was 27 653 and the usage rate was 498 000. Our colleagues are now preparing for the next phase, with a view to providing a wider range of estate information and enriching the App. I am pleased to see that our colleagues, in keeping abreast of the times, adopt a flexible and pragmatic approach in taking forward our services.

In parallel, colleagues of the Information Technology Sub-division and the Housing Subsidies Sub-division are exploring the feasibility of e-application for subsidised housing. Details such as technical and security requirements have to be thoroughly examined in the process. I earnestly hope that our colleagues will continue to harness the benefits of information technology to enhance our efficiency and offer more convenient and targeted services for the community.


Stanley Ying
Director of Housing