Public Rental Housing Waiting Time Stands at 4.8 Years Despite Slight Quarterly Rise
Hkgov · 1 SOURCESabout 1 hour ago2 MIN
Summary
The Housing Bureau announced that Hong Kong's Composite Waiting Time for subsidised rental housing has increased slightly to 4.8 years as of end-June 2026, rising 0.1 years from the previous quarter . Despite this modest uptick, the waiting time remains significantly lower than the 6.1-year peak recorded before the current administration assumed office, representing a reduction of 1.3 years . The figure also stays below the five-year threshold and continues to fall short of the 2018-2025 records . In the second quarter of 2026, the bureau housed approximately 4,400 general applicants to public rental housing or Light Public Housing units . The overall quarterly supply of public rental housing and Light Public Housing has doubled to about 7,400 units compared to the average of 3,800 units during the three years prior to the current-term Government taking office .
Key Points
- The Composite Waiting Time reached 4.8 years as at end-June 2026, a slight 0.1-year increase from the previous quarter
- The waiting time has been reduced by 1.3 years compared to the peak of 6.1 years before the current administration took office
- About 4,400 general applicants were housed in Q2 2026, comprising 720 newly completed PRH flats, 2,400 recovered PRH flats, and 1,300 LPH units
- Urban and extended urban districts housed 74% of general applicants over the past 12 months, with waiting times exceeding six years
- Light Public Housing units in the New Territories averaged approximately two years of waiting time, compared to three years overall for LPH
Why It Matters
The slight increase in waiting time reflects the challenge of matching supply with sustained demand in high-demand urban areas, where waiting times exceed six years compared to New Territories districts . Despite this, the doubling of quarterly housing supply to 7,400 units demonstrates the Government's commitment to addressing the public housing backlog and keeping the overall waiting time under five years .
The slight increase in waiting time reflects the challenge of matching supply with sustained demand in high-demand urban areas, where waiting times exceed six years compared to New Territories districts . Despite this, the doubling of quarterly housing supply to 7,400 units demonstrates the Government's commitment to addressing the public housing backlog and keeping the overall waiting time under five years .