Street sleeper denied public housing after seven-year wait due to small mishap in forms

After seven years of waiting for a public housing flat, Yeung Chau-shing thought his day had come.

But before the keys could be handed over, there was one more form to fill out – the consequences of which would see the one-legged and homeless 52-year-old denied a place to live and left in limbo.

Yeung filled in his initial application for a flat seven years ago stating he was “unmarried”. Three weeks ago he was asked to fill in one final form before he could call the flat in Fu Cheong Estate home. On that form he said he was married but had lost contact with his wife.

It was a discrepancy that would deny him his home.

Yeung and his wife have been separated for a number of years but have not completed any divorce papers, Yeung said.

For practical purposes Yeung considered himself single since he did not plan to live in the flat with his wife and did not know where she was.