********************************************************
The following is issued on behalf of the Housing Authority:
The Housing Authority (HA) will continue to allocate the biggest share of the planned public rental housing (PRH) flat supply, at 70.5% of the year's provision, to Waiting List (WL) applicants in 2010/11.
The HA's Subsidised Housing Committee (SHC) today (May 17) approved the allocation framework of providing 31,100 PRH flats for eligible families, among which 21,930 flats will go to WL applicants. The remaining flats will be allocated to other various categories.
"Compared to last year's planned allocation of 66.4% of the flats to the WL category, it represents an increase of 4.1%," the Chairman of the SHC, Professor Anthony Cheung Bing-leung, said.
Flats allowed for non-elderly one-person WL applicants subjected to the Quota and Points System, is maintained at 8% of the flats for WL applicant in line with the agreed principle.
To cater for the rehousing need generated by various government clearance projects including squatter huts, private tenements, and Urban Renewal Authority projects, 520 flats will be reserved.
Another 150 flats will be reserved for Estate Clearance and Major Repairs category, taking into account the demand arising from the clearance of So Uk Estate Phase 2 and the Early Thinning-out Exercise for Block 22 of Tung Tau (I) Estate.
"For planning purpose, 2,000 flats have been set aside for the Compassionate Rehousing category. However, this figure is not meant to be the ceiling of allocation, and additional flats will be made available to meet extra demand, if recommendations by the Social Welfare Department warrant and resources permit," Professor Cheung said.
A total of 5,500 flats will be flexibly deployed under the Transfer category. Amongst them, 1,500 flats are set aside for overcrowding relief and living space improvement needs. The remaining 4,000 flats will be used for different forms of transfer.
Among the 31,100 flats for allocation this year, 12,600 are new flats and 18,500 are refurbished flats.
Noting that the allocation plan was drawn up having regard to the anticipated supply of PRH flats and demand for PRH from various rehousing categories in the coming year, Professor Cheung said that the HA would closely monitor any change in the circumstances.
"We will make every effort to attain our target of maintaining the average waiting time at around three years for ordinary WL applicants," Professor Cheung said.
Ends/Monday, May 17, 2010
Issued at HKT 17:21
NNNN
