Hong Kong housing scheme sees application rush as 521 vie for 20 subsidised flats up for lease
Applicants for a batch of flats in the Community Housing Movement will be chosen by need and could move in as early as Christmas
The first batch of 20 homes slated for a shared housing scheme for the needy has attracted overwhelming response, officials said on Tuesday, with applications exceeding capacity by 26 times.
Applicants will now go through assessment and screening, with the most-needy selected hoping to move into their new homes by Christmas.
Called the Community Housing Movement, the initiative was first floated by housing minister Frank Chan Fan after he stepped into office in July.
Vacant flats, usually from tenement buildings in urban districts, will be leased by philanthropists or developers at a nominal price to charities, which will then sub-let the units to needy families.
While the non-profit initiative is spearheaded by the Hong Kong Council of Social Service, other organisations can also take part.
The current batch of 20 units, located at Fuk Lo Tsun Road in Kowloon City, is provided to the Lok Sin Tong Benevolent Society by developer Henderson Land for a nominal rent of HK$1.