Average Waiting Time for Public Rental Housing (PRH)
As at end-December 2024, the average waiting time* for general applicants who were housed to PRH in the past 12 months has decreased by 0.2 years to 5.3 years as compared with last quarter; it also reduced by 0.8 years from the high level of 6.1 years in recent years (i.e. as at end-March 2022). Based on the position as at end-December every year, the average waiting time in 2024 reverted to the lowest level since 2018 (i.e. in the past six years). Among them, the average waiting time for elderly one-person applicants has also decreased by 0.1 years to 3.4 years as compared with last quarter, which was the lowest level since December 2020 (i.e. in the past four years). In the fourth quarter of 2024, about 5 000 general applicants were housed to PRH, increased by about 1 300 as compared with last quarter. Amongst the general applicants that were housed in the fourth quarter of 2024, about 610 of them were elderly one-person applicants. Separately, about 440 non-elderly one-person applicants under the Quota and Points System were housed to PRH in the same quarter.
In the fourth quarter of 2024, some 1 300 general applicants were housed to new PRH flats. Among them, about 800 and 400 were housed to Hin Fat Estate and Yip Wong Estate in Tuen Mun respectively. With our efforts to expedite the allocation of PRH flats, coupled with the fact that the average waiting time of PRH applicants for flats in the New Territories is relatively shorter, the relatively shorter waiting time of the above-mentioned PRH applicants was reflected in the average waiting time in this quarter. As a result, the average waiting time in the fourth quarter of 2024 has decreased by 0.2 years to 5.3 years.
Furthermore, with the Housing Department’s enhanced effectiveness in combating tenancy abuse and following the completion of a number of subsidised sale flats projects by the Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA), the number of refurbished flats available for allocation to PRH applicants has stayed at a relatively high level in the fourth quarter of 2024.
Looking ahead, a number of HA’s new PRH projects will be completed gradually. Together with the intake at some Home Ownership Scheme and Green Form Home Ownership Scheme projects in this year and the coming year as well as our continuous efforts to combat tenancy abuse, we will endeavor to provide PRH flats for allocation by adopting a three-pronged approach. Benefitting from the relatively shorter waiting time of general applicants housed to Fu Tip Estate in Tai Po, Yip Wong Estate and Hin Fat Estate in Tuen Mun recently, it is expected that the average waiting time in the next quarter will remain stable.
As at end-December 2024, there were about 118 600 general applications for PRH, which reduced by 24% (i.e. 37 800 cases) from the highest level of 156 400 cases as at end-September 2020. The decline in number of general applicants aged below 30 was even more significant during the same period, falling by 52% from 15 600 cases to 7 600 cases. As for non-elderly one-person applicants under the Quota and Points System, there were about 86 200 applications as at end-December 2024, which reduced by 40% (i.e. 57 500 cases) from the peak of 143 700 cases as at end-December 2015. During the same period, the number of non-elderly one-person applicants aged below 30 reduced significantly by 58% from 74 500 cases to 31 700 cases.
*The average waiting time is calculated as the average of the waiting time of those general applicants (i.e. family applicants and elderly one-person applicants) who were housed to PRH in the past 12 months, it is not applicable to non-elderly one-person applicants under the Quota and Points System. Waiting time basically 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 average waiting time as announced by HA.
Annual Analysis of Average Waiting Time for PRH in 2024
To enhance information transparency, the Housing Department has conducted an analysis of the housing situation of general applicants for PRH in 2024. The analysis shows that in recent years, the number of cases that were housed to flats in the New Territories exceeded those that were housed to flats in Urban district or Extended Urban district. Hence, the general applicants waiting for flats in the New Territories would be housed more quickly. Taking the situation as at end-December 2024 as an example, the average waiting time for general applicants housed to PRH flats in the New Territories was generally shorter than those housed to PRH flats in Urban or Extended Urban by about one and a half years.
Following the gradual completion of new public housing projects and the Housing Department’s enhanced effectiveness in combating tenancy abuse, coupled with intakes of Home Ownership Scheme projects and Green Form Subsidised Home Ownership Scheme projects, a number of PRH tenants vacated their PRH flats as a result of the purchase of subsidised sale flats. The number of applicants housed to PRH has been higher than in the past. It has cleared up a number of general applications that had waited for a longer time, and the number of general applicants has therefore decreased. In 2024, about 21 100 general applications were housed to PRH, nearly 6 900 cases more than the newly registered general applications of 14 200 cases in the same year.
Please click the link below for the relevant document:
Annual Analysis of Average Waiting Time for Public Rental Housing in 2024
The above information only shows the waiting time distribution of general applications allocated with PRH between January 2024 and December 2024. Past trends are not indicative of the future. The information only serves as a general reference and should not be used as the basis for projecting the waiting time of individual applications.
Composite Waiting Time for Subsidised Rental Housing
For the new index of “Composite Waiting Time for Subsidised Rental Housing” announced by the Chief Executive in the 2022 Policy Address, please refer to the relevant webpage on the Housing Bureau’s website.
