Hong Kong’s average waiting time for a public rental flat rose to 5.6 years as of December, marking an increase for three consecutive quarters, as the Housing Bureau attributed the increase to high demand for flats in urban areas.
According to figures announced on Thursday, the latest average waiting time for general applicants – family or elderly households – over the past 12 months was higher than 5.5 years recorded in September and 5.4 years in June. The figure was 5.3 years, as of March 2025.
Between October and December, the bureau allocated 3,600 newly completed homes and 3,800 recovered flats to general applicants. Of the 7,400 general applicants placed in public rental housing, 70 per cent were housed in “Urban” and “Extended Urban” districts.
“These districts are very popular districts among applicants, thus the waiting time for [such districts] is about two years longer than that for the New Territories,” the bureau said. “Their longer waiting time has been taken into account in the latest waiting time.”
Popular districts include Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, Sha Tin, Tsuen Wan and Tung Chung, among other areas. Districts under the separate New Territories category include Tuen Mun, Yuen Long, Tin Shui Wai, Sheung Shui, Fanling and Tai Po.
The average waiting time for single elderly applicants has increased to 3.9 years, up from 3.7 years in September, and 3.5 years in June.
The bureau stressed that the government was “achieving policy outcomes”, as many applicants with longer waiting times were gradually being housed.
