Hong Kong Housing Authority and Housing Department

EFAS(2024) will invite applications from 16 July to 29 July 2024. Eligible PRH applicants who are interested in joining this scheme with valid PRH application of registration date or equivalent date of registration falling on or before 31 March 2023 (Equivalent date of registration will be adopted if there is one in the application)(i.e. whose application number is G1485250 / U0516435 or earlier) [* Application number is for reference only] with at least half of the family members included in the application have lived in Hong Kong for seven years and holding a valid chance of flat allocation are eligible to apply for joining EFAS (2024) irrespective of whether they have ever applied for EFAS before.

Housing Department (HD) will send invitation letters to all eligible applicants. Eligible PRH applicants who opt to apply for EFAS (2024) have to submit application during the period mentioned above by any one of the following ways.  Late applications will not be accepted.

• On-line application: login to the “e-Services for Public Rental Housing Application”, open the electronic form and submit the completed form electronically at or before 11:59 p.m. on 29 July 2024. (The applicant must register an account on the “e-Service for Public Rental Housing Application” with a valid PRH application number*). or
• By post/by hand: complete the application form attached to our mailed invitation letter or download at ‘e-Services for Public Rental Housing Application’ and submit by one of the following ways:

1. 1. submit the completed original application form in the designated collection box at the reception counter of Podium Level 1, HA Customer Service Centre (HACSC) (Address : 3 Wang Tau Hom South Road, Kowloon) during office hours (Collection Box Opening Hours: 8:00 am to 6:00 pm from Monday to Friday, except Saturday, Sunday & Public holidays); or
   2. mail it to Lettings Unit (2), HACSC, Podium Level 4, 3 Wang Tau Hom South Road, Kowloon or P.O. Box 89192, Kowloon City Post Office with Express Flat Allocation Scheme (2024) denoted on the envelope. (Please ensure that mail items should bear sufficient postage with return address before posting.) For mailed application, the submission date of the application will be determined by the postmark date on the envelope. Late applications will not be considered.

* For creating an ‘e-Services for Public Rental Housing Application’ account and enquiries on the respective user manual, please scan the respective QR code below, or call HA Hotline at 2712 2712.

Applicant who has submitted the application form by post or by hand may call HA Hotline at 2712 2712 by 16 August 2024 should he/she fail to receive the acknowledgement letter before 12 August 2024.

Applicants who are not interested in this Scheme may ignore the invitation letter and need not to reply. Their PRH applications will continue with the normal course in accordance with the prevailing PRH policies and procedures provided that the applications are still valid. For enquiries, please call HA Hotline at 2712 2712.

Applicants may also click the following links to download the information of the EFAS(2024) :

Application Form (Click“EFAS”>“Download”> Input “PRH Application number”)

Invitation Letter and Application Guide

Applicants should notify HD in writing or through “Quick Updating of PRH Application” in “e-Services for Public Rental Housing Application” at HA/HD website immediately for any changes of correspondence address or registered telephone number.

Click the quick link "e-Services for Public Rental Housing Application" on this page, you will be directed to the respective portal.

To enquire about your EFAS application status, you must have a registered "e-Services for Public Rental Housing Application" If you have not registered before, please click "Login/Register" at the upper right corner, then click "Register" to register for an "e-Services for Public Rental Housing Application" account. You may then use your e-Services account to login. If you are ex-users of "e-Services for Applicants", you can input PRH Application No. and old password for the first time login. If you are user of "iAM Smart", you can log in "iAM Smart" Mobile App.

After log in to the "e-Services for PRH Application" account, select "Enquire Application Status".

If you have joined the current EFAS exercise, you can enquire about your application status by clicking "EFAS (2024)". During the flat selection period, applicants holding valid EFAS application can enquire about the list of remaining flats available for selection.

Under the EFAS, eligible PRH applicants may have an earlier chance to be allocated PRH units.

2.

The EFAS is launched subject to the availability of housing resources and conducted in mode of self-flat selection. Most flats to be included for selection are less popular PRH flats. There is no locality restriction for EFAS applicants. Eligible applicants can select only one flat from the list of remaining flats available for selection in accordance with the number of authorised members in their PRH applications and the allocation standard of individual flats.

3.

As there are a large number of applicants for the EFAS while the number of flats available for selection is limited and the flats are unevenly distributed across various districts, the HD cannot guarantee that all applicants will be invited for flat selection or be able to successfully select a flat.  The HD will only invite applicants for flat selection provided that there are flats available in their selected districts and/or flat types.

If the applicant’s eligibility for PRH has yet to be verified after the flat selection, HD will immediately appoint a date of the detailed vetting interview for the applicant. In general, the interview will be conducted within one month, counting from the date of flat selection.  If the applicant (and the authorised person who attended the flat selection session on behalf of the applicant) fails to make the appointment date of the detailed vetting interview right after the flat selection, the application for the EFAS will be immediately cancelled and the selected flat will not be reserved.  Based on the principle of optimising public housing resources, HD will not consider the requests of the applicant (and the authorised person) for postponing the interview for more than two months, counting from the date of flat selection. The applicant and his/her family member(s) reaching the age of 18 (if any) included in the PRH application must attend the interview as scheduled and complete the required procedures in person; otherwise, the application for the EFAS will be cancelled and the selected flat will not be reserved.  Under normal circumstances, applicant whose eligibility for PRH has already been confirmed will receive the “offer letter” in about one month, from the date of the letter that confirmed his/her eligibility for PRH or the date of “Undertaking for Flat Selection Exercise”, whichever is later.  Applicants are required to complete the intake formalities at the respective estate office on the date specified in the letter.  Based on the principle of optimising public housing resources, HD will not consider the applicant’s request for postponing the date of issuance of the “offer letter”.

Based on the principle of optimising public housing resources, if (i) the Applicant voluntarily withdraws the selected flat under the EFAS; or (ii) the Applicant and/ or his/her family member(s) reaching the age of 18 (if any) included in the PRH application fail(s) to attend the detailed vetting interview in person as scheduled and/or submit requisite documents within the specified period for verification of his/her eligibility for PRH; or (iii) the Applicant refuses the housing offer of the selected flat after successful verification of his/her eligibility for PRH and receiving the “offer letter”; or (iv) the Applicant fails to turn up for completion of the formalities of the tenancy of the selected flat at the respective estate office, without any “acceptable reason”, the allocation will be counted as one valid offer. “Acceptable reasons” for refusing the housing offers include: (i) the Applicant has supporting document(s) issued by the relevant organisations (such as the Hospital Authority), stating clearly the medical reason(s) for not accepting the PRH unit offered; (ii) the Applicant has supporting document(s) issued by the Social Welfare Department / relevant organisation, stating clearly the social reason(s) for not accepting the PRH unit offered; and (iii) the Applicant has document(s) to prove that he/she is unable to sign the tenancy agreement as scheduled due to his/her absence from Hong Kong or hospitalisation for treatment.

Applicants who have not been invited for self-flat selection or have not attended upon invitation, or failed to successfully select a flat during the self-flat selection procedure, will not be recorded with one count of valid offer. Their PRH application will continue to be processed in accordance with the prevailing PRH policies and procedure provided that the application is still valid.

The flats offered for selection include vacant rental units of PRH estates located in various districts. Some are considered to be desirable in terms of surroundings, transportation network, community service, shopping and medical facilities, etc. Some may have involved in unpleasant incidents, while the floor level, orientation or internal layout of some other units may be less desirable. For example, units in Po Tin Estate and Tin Yan Estate (Phase 1) in the New Territories are equipped with smaller toilet and kitchen than those in other PRH units.

Tenants who take up PRH flats with effective vacancy period of 12 months or more will be granted 50% reduction on monthly rent. The period of rent reduction is determined by the period of effective vacancy of a flat (“Effective vacancy period” is the period during which the unit is under normal letting so that it may differ from actual vacancy period). Tenants cannot apply for HD’s Rent Assistance Scheme during the period. (Remarks: If Comprehensive Social Security Assistance recipients residing in public housing receive any rent-free incentives or rent-reduction incentives, Social Welfare Department will stop the rental allowance or will only pay rental allowance at an amount equal to the actual rent paid resulting from the rent-reduction incentives, subject to the maximum rent allowance entitled. For further enquiries, please contact the responsible Social Security Field Unit.

Cash Allowance Trial Scheme: If a PRH applicant household has selected a flat through EFAS as the first PRH flat offer and has been issued with a “Reserving Selected Flat Offer Letter”, irrespective of whether the selected flat is eventually accepted, the household will be deemed to have been provided with a first flat offer (save for cases with “acceptable reason(s)” for refusing housing offers as determined by HD under the established PRH allocation mechanism) and therefore no longer meets the eligibility criteria of the Cash Allowance Trial Scheme (the Trial Scheme). If the PRH applicant household is receiving cash allowance under the Trial Scheme and eventually accepts the selected flat offer, the cash allowance will be disbursed until the end of the month in which the tenancy agreement of the PRH flat is signed; if the PRH applicant household eventually refuses the selected flat offer, the cash allowance will be disbursed until the end of the month of flat selection as specified in the “Reserving Selected Flat Offer Letter”.  Cash Allowance Office will suspend the disbursement of cash allowance effective from the following month of the flat selection specified in the “Reserving Selected Flat Offer Letter”.  If the PRH applicant household eventually accepts the selected flat offer, Cash Allowance Office will pay back the cash allowance for the suspended period until the end of the month in which the tenancy agreement of the PRH flat is signed; if the PRH applicant household eventually refuses the selected flat offer, the cash allowance application will be terminated and the cash allowance for the suspended period will not be disbursed due to not fulfilling the eligibility criteria of the Trial Scheme.  Applicant households may visit the Trial Scheme’s website or contact the Cash Allowance Office for further information of the Trial Scheme.

Light Public Housing (LPH): If a PRH applicant household has selected a flat through the Scheme as the first PRH flat offer and has been issued with a “Reserving Selected Flat Offer Letter”, irrespective of whether the selected flat is eventually accepted or refused, the household will be deemed to have been provided with a first flat offer (save for cases with “acceptable reason(s)” for refusing housing offers as determined by HD under the established PRH allocation mechanism). The household will not be eligible to apply for LPH and the LPH application will be rejected or cancelled.  Applicants may visit the LPH website of the Housing Bureau (www.hb.gov.hk/eng/lph) for details of LPH, or may contact the The Office of the Dedicated Team on Light Public Housing via other means.

The Subsidised Housing Committee (SHC) of HA endorsed on 29 September 2005 that tenants departing from PRH (including IH) with rent arrears unsettled at the time of tenancy termination have vacated the PRH unit, the ex-tenant and family member(s) aged 18 or above of such households are required to settle all rent arrears/debts incurred in the past before they can be allocated a PRH unit through the PRH Application. (Applicable to ex-tenants whose flats are recovered by HD after 30 September 2005).  For applicants who are those ex-tenants/family member(s) aged 18 or above of such households are not allowed to attend the flat selection procedures unless all rent arrears/debts incurred have been settled before their scheduled flat selection date under the Scheme.  Failing which the application of the Scheme will be cancelled.

The PRH applications, including applicants or family members under the debarment restriction for PRH application resulting from the following circumstances, are not eligible to join the Scheme within the debarment period. For those with their debarment imposed after the application closing date, their application of the Scheme will also be cancelled accordingly.

(i) Ex-tenants with PRH tenancies terminated by the HA on or after 1 October 2023 for making false declarations, breaching any terms of the tenancy agreement, violating the Marking Scheme for Estate Management Enforcement in Public Housing Estates etc., as well as their family member(s) aged 18 or above at the time of tenancy termination are ineligible to apply for PRH within five years from the following day after the date of tenancy termination. As for the ex-tenants with PRH tenancies terminated by the HA during the period from 1 January 2006 to 30 September 2023 as well as their family member(s) aged 18 or above at the time of tenancy termination are ineligible to apply for PRH within two years from the following day after the date of tenancy termination.  The above restrictions are also applicable to ex-licensees of PRH and IH and their family member(s).

(ii) Ex-tenants with rental estate units tenancies terminated by the HKHS on or after 1 December 2023 for making false declarations or breaching any terms of the tenancy agreement etc., as well as their family member(s) aged 18 or above at the time of tenancy termination are ineligible to apply for PRH and rental estate units within five years from the following day after the date of tenancy termination.

(iii) Applicants or family members whose PRH applications cancelled by the HA on or after 1 October 2023 on grounds of making false declarations or furnishing false information will be barred from re- applying for PRH for a period of five years from the date of cancellation.

(iv) Applicants or family members whose rental estate units applications cancelled by the HKHS on or after 1 December 2023 on grounds of making false declarations or furnishing false information will be barred from re- applying for PRH and rental estate units for a period of five years from the date of cancellation.

Applicant who has obtained a PRH flat through EFAS and subsequently applies with Green Form (GF) for purchase of a flat under HA’s Home Ownership Scheme (HOS) or Hong Kong Housing Society’s “Subsidised Sales Flats Project” (including surplus HOS and new HOS flats) within three years from the initial commencement date of the tenancy agreement, he/she will be treated as White Form (WF) applicant in the flat selection order and will be put under the WF queue. Any flat taken up by him / her will be counted against the WF quota. Upon purchase of such a flat, he / she will have to surrender his / her PRH flat to HA like the other GF applicants.

Applicants housed through EFAS will not be eligible to apply for the sale of flats under Green Form Subsidised Home Ownership Scheme within three years from the initial date of tenancy commencement of their PRH units.

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. At flat selection, applicants are therefore required to sign an undertaking to acknowledge that they cannot request a transfer within three years from the date of commencement of the tenancy agreement in respect of the selected flat. HD may exercise discretion for special cases verified by relevant departments/organisations, or transfers upon demand of the HD.

If the PRH application has been verified as eligible for PRH and the application is ready for allocation (except for frozen cases), joining EFAS 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 PRH application, inviting the applicant to complete the intake formalities (including final offer) during EFAS. 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 chance of housing offer(s). If the applicant refuses to accept the final offer leading to cancellation of his / her PRH application, his / her EFAS application will be cancelled accordingly.

In accordance with the principle of optimising public housing resources and subject to the availability of such resources, if there are still flats available for selection after all invited eligible applicants have attended the flat selection, HD will consider re-inviting eligible applicants who have not selected a flat under EFAS to join the flat selection of the remaining flats according to order of priority for flat selection. HD reserves all rights in respect of flat selection arrangements.

For enquiry, please call the Housing Authority Hotline 2712 2712.