Exclusive | Hong Kong housing authorities quietly open door for same-sex couples
Lawmakers describe government’s response to top court ruling as ‘prudent approach’, but concern group calls for move to be publicly announced
Hong Kong’s housing authorities have opened up applications for public rental and subsidised homes to same-sex couples as part of efforts to address a ruling from the city’s top court last year, the Post has learned.
The measures, including modifying the application form for seeking second-hand subsidised homes, were implemented without any public announcement.
While lawmakers said the government had responded to the Court of Final Appeal’s decision prudently and within a reasonable time frame, a concern group expressed hope that the changes could have been publicly announced.
In a reply to the Post, the Housing Authority said: “Upon receiving [public rental home] applications involving same-sex married spouses, we will handle the case in accordance with the practice adopted for the ‘ordinary families’ applicant category.”
A spokesman added that the authority would continue to process such applications and those for buying subsidised flats from same-sex married couples.
The authority had yet to receive any public rental housing applications from any same-sex couples as of Thursday.