Adviser suggests subsidising young peoples' housing costs

Young people postponing marriage and delaying having children because they cannot afford a flat would get subsidies under a proposal floated by a government housing adviser.

Michael Choi Ngai-min says the problem of an ageing population could worsen if people in their 20s and 30s defer their family plans for too long.

The Long Term Housing Strategy Steering Committee, of which Choi is a member, will consider the idea and others tomorrow.

It was understood that the advisers will also look at redeveloping old public estates, to shorten the public housing waiting list of 210,000.

"I do agree that the younger generation shouldn't be given the highest priority, as many should be able to improve their lives on their own," Choi said yesterday.

"But to look at the issue from the ageing population point of view, there is a group of young people in their late 20s and early 30s deferring their plans to start families because they cannot get a flat. The ageing problem is going to be worse if they postpone their marriages and plans to have babies."