Hong Kong Housing Authority must act to end its flagrant discrimination
- A second court has ruled against restrictions preventing same-sex couples married overseas from sharing public housing. The policy must go
Hong Kong’s shortage of affordable housing, driving many residents to live in tiny, poor quality, subdivided flats, has long been a pressing problem.
It was flagged as a “top task” for the city’s first chief executive in 1997 and remains a priority 26 years later.
But while applicants generally face long waits for a public flat and dream of buying their own, subsidised, Home Ownership Scheme property, the process is much more challenging for same-sex couples.
That must now change. Last week, the Court of Appeal ruled restrictions preventing same-sex couples married overseas from sharing public housing and jointly occupying HOS flats are discriminatory and unlawful.
Such couples are blocked under a Housing Authority policy from applying to live together in public housing as “ordinary families” and can only apply as individuals. This involves a longer wait.
They are not treated as “family members” when applying to share HOS flats. Owners cannot add their same-sex partner as an occupant. Making their spouse a joint owner is not possible without paying a premium.