Applications for the second phase of light public housing units have started yesterday (24 Feb), with a total of about 5,060 units available, including Olympic Avenue, Kai Tak (Phase I), Tsing Fuk Lane, Tuen Mun (Tuen Mun Area 3A), Shun On Road, Kwun Tong (renovated from a school building) and Choi Yuen Road, Sheung Shui (renovated from a school building). Units are expected to be available for occupancy from the fourth quarter of this year, with rents ranging from HK$860 to HK$3,270.
Secretary for Housing, Winnie Ho Wing-yin, shared on social media yesterday that 850 application forms had been received as of 6pm (24 Feb).
Early this morning (25 Feb), some citizens had already arrived at the Hong Kong Housing Authority Customer Service Centre in Lok Fu to submit their application forms, most of them were middle-aged and elderly people. It is believed that the number of applications will continue to rise in the following few days.
Applicants’ Favourite: Kai Tak Light Public Housing Project
When asked which project she liked the most, 58-year-old Ms. Wang, who immigrated to Hong Kong five years ago and is currently waiting for the traditional public rental housing, said Kai Tak without hesitation. “Kai Tak has good surrounding facilities and is a key development area of the government in recent years. It is definitely the majority of applicants’ first choice!” said Ms. Wang.
Ms Wang and her husband is living in a nearby tenement flat with a monthly rent of HK$7,000. Although the rent of light public housing is much more lower, she explained that they would not necessarily consider the more distant projects in Sheung Shui and Tuen Mun as they are too far from their workplaces.
Ms. Ke, who has a daughter studying in primary school, also expressed her interest in the Kai Tak project. “My daughter is attending primary school in Wong Tai Sin. I heard that Kai Tak has a better school network and there are more famous schools,” she said.
Ms. Ke also added that she has another young child at home who will soon be of school age. She hopes to be allocated a light public housing unit in Kai Tak so that her children can attend a better school and enjoy the environment, facilities and amenities surrounding the Kai Tak Development Area.
Kai Tak’s Surrounding Environment and Facilities Attracting Applicants
The Kai Tak Project is located at Olympic Avenue, surrounded by other public housing estates, such as Kai Yan Court and Kai Ying Court. The construction of this project is still in progress, and there are many public housings under construction in the surrounding area.
This project is also very close to Kai Tak Sports Park and there are various shopping malls, such as Kai Tak SOGO Twin Towers which opened in November last year and Kai Tak Mall which opened in December. Although some shops have not yet been rented out, given the scale of development of this industrial park, residents believed that more brands will move into Kai Tak to provide more convenient living for nearby residents.
“Of course this is a great living site!” Said Mr Ho, a senior resident living in Kai Tak area, who walks his dog everyday. “I can get whatever I want just in this area, even me, an elderly can access to different things and facilities easily.”