Press Release

Housing Society Launches “T-Home” Transitional Housing Scheme

The Hong Kong Housing Society (HKHS) announced today (9 July) the launch of its first “T-Home” Transitional Housing Scheme at Yue Kwong Chuen, in an effort to contribute to the supply of transitional housing by optimising the use of existing rental housing resources.  Application for the Scheme will be open from 16 July to 3 August 2018.

Completed in the 60s, Yue Kwong Chuen is one of the rental estates of HKHS providing 1,144 flats in five domestic blocks. Subsequent to the agreement by the Town Planning Board of re-zoning application for the development of a rehousing estate in Shek Pai Wan Road in the vicinity of Yue Kwong Chuen, a public hearing was held in June this year. As the planning procedure will soon be completed, HKHS has planned to commence the redevelopment of the estate by phases in about five years.  Three domestic blocks including Pak Sha Lau, Shun Fung Lau and Hoy Kong Lau will be demolished in the first phase.

To facilitate the redevelopment plan, around 200 small-sized flats have been left unoccupied.  HKHS will refurbish these flats, such that they could be made available for those who have been queuing for some time for public rental housing to apply for temporary stay.  Eligible applicants include 2- to 3-person family and applicants for the Single Elderly Persons Priority Scheme with a valid application for public rental housing that has been registered for three years or above (registration date on or before 4 August 2015).

Eligible T-Home applicants and/or the persons listed in the Application Form are subject to the following criteria: (1) the information listed in the Application Form must be the same as that of the application for Public Rental Housing (PRH) of the Housing Authority (HA); (2) must comply with the existing policies and criteria for applying PRH of HA (including but not limited to number of family members, income and asset limit); and (3) must not own any domestic property in Hong Kong (including subsidised sale flats) at any time from the date of application for HA’s public rental housing up to the subsistence of the Monthly Licence issued under the Scheme.

HKHS Chief Executive Officer Wong Kit-loong said, “In view of the pressing need for public housing in Hong Kong, transitional housing could provide a temporary accommodation option to the needy families before a long-term solution is identified.  As the ‘housing laboratory’, HKHS has always been willing to explore ways to improve the living environment of the people.  The provision of transitional housing by utilising the existing rental flats could also help maximise the efficient use of housing resources.”

Floor area and rental of T-Home at Yue Kwong Chuen are as follows:

Computer balloting for the Scheme will be conducted in late August. Based on the applicants’ priority number and number of family members, invitation will be extended to the applicants for flat allocation.  The applicants who have accepted the flat assigned will be required to sign the Monthly License which shall take effect between the end of 2018 and early 2019.  All applicants will only be given one chance of flat allocation.  If the allocation is refused, or if the applicant does not attend the flat allocation procedures, the application concerned will be cancelled.

During the application period, Application Form and Application Guide can be obtained from the Applications Section and Estate/Property Management Offices of HKHS, and all Enquiry Centres of the Home Affairs Department, or downloaded from HKHS website.  Enquiries can be made via the Scheme Hotline 8103 0330.

Another T-Home scheme which allows property owners of subsidised housing of HKHS with unpaid premium to sublet their flats to the families in need will be launched in the third quarter of 2018.