Hong Kong Housing Authority and Housing Department

Ordinary Families

Ordinary Families
Introduction of application for Public Rental Housing

The Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA) maintains a Public Rental Housing (PRH) application system. Based on this system, we are able to allocate PRH flats to eligible applicants in an equitable and orderly manner.

We have set specific eligibility criteria and are offering various schemes to cater for the needs of different PRH applicants. Please click the following link for details for PRH application:

Our PRH estates are distributed in four districts in Hong Kong:

  • Urban (including Hong Kong Island and Kowloon)
  • Extended Urban (including Tung Chung, Sha Tin, Ma On Shan, Tseung Kwan O, Tsuen Wan, Kwai Chung and Tsing Yi)
  • New Territories (including Tuen Mun, Yuen Long, Tin Shui Wai, Sheung Shui, Fanling and Tai Po)
  • Islands (excluding Tung Chung)

Since the number of applications for PRH units in the Urban district exceeds the number of units available for allocation to applicants, newly registered PRH applicants can only choose one from among the three non-urban districts for their future housing allocation. Nevertheless, applicants who join the Single Elderly Persons Priority Scheme, Elderly Persons Priority Scheme or Harmonious Families Priority Scheme and opt to have all the members living in one unit may choose any districts of their choice.

In view of the supply of PRH flats in the Urban district, HA now allows PRH applicants whose applications with the date of registration (or equivalent date of registration) on or before 30.9.2016 (i.e. PRH application numbers not exceeding G1396576 / U0419945) to choose to switch their choice of district to “Urban” (including Hong Kong Island and Kowloon) if they are still holding a valid application.

General Eligibility Criteria

Families applying for PRH must fulfill the eligibility criteria listed as below. Families with elderly member(s) can enjoy certain credit in the waiting time and priority in flat allocation.

  • The Applicant must be 18 years of age or above.
  • The Applicant and all his / her family member(s) must be residing in Hong Kong and have the right to land in Hong Kong. Their residence in Hong Kong is not subject to any conditions of stay (except for conditions on the limit of stay). Any persons who are not granted the right to land in Hong Kong cannot be included in the application.
  • All married persons included in the application must apply together with their spouses (except for persons who have applied to the court for a divorce, persons whose spouses have not been granted the right to land in Hong Kong or widowed persons).
  • The total monthly household income and total household net asset value of the Applicant must not exceed the limits laid down by HA.
  • At the time of allocation, at least half of the family members included in the application must have lived in Hong Kong for seven years and all family members must still be living in Hong Kong.
  • From the date of signing the Application Form for PRH to the date of entering into a new tenancy agreement of the PRH unit allocated in consequence of the application, the Applicant and / or his / her family member(s) must not:
    1. own or co-own or have an interest in any domestic property in Hong Kong (including a beneficiary of the estate of any deceased person which includes any domestic property in Hong Kong). Domestic property includes any domestic property in Hong Kong, uncompleted private domestic property, rooftop structure approved by the Building Authority, domestic building lots and Small House Grants approved by the Lands Department;
    2. have entered into any agreement (including provisional agreement) to purchase any domestic property in Hong Kong; or
    3. hold more than 50% of the shares in a company which owns, directly or through its subsidiaries, any domestic property in Hong Kong.
Implementation of Frozen Period

The Subsidised Housing Committee endorsed at the meeting on 14 February 2017 the introduction of a frozen period for family applicants currently living in PRH starting from 1 April 2017. For further rationalising the allocation of PRH resources, the Subsidised Housing Committee decided at the meeting on 20 September 2019 to remove the exemption under the three elderly priority schemes (Single Elderly Persons Priority Scheme, Elderly Persons Priority Scheme and Harmonious Families Priority Scheme). For details, please refer to the following press release.

Introduction of a frozen period for family applicants currently living in public rental housing

HA approves measures to further rationalise allocation of public rental housing resources

Please click the following link for more details:

Application Guide for Public Rental Housing [HD273] and Points to Note [RCSU2-018-1&2E](PDF format)

Change of Address

PRH applicants who have their address changed can notify us, as well as various government departments and non-governmental organisations by using the online Change of Address service at the GovHK, the one-stop website portal of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government.

Contact Information
HA Hotline: 2712 2712
Fax: 2624 5685
E-mail: hkha@housingauthority.gov.hk
Office Address: Applications Sub-section, Housing Department
Podium Level 2
Hong Kong Housing Authority Customer Service Centre
3 Wang Tau Hom South Road,
Kowloon, Hong Kong
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