Flat selection for Sale of Home Ownership Scheme Flats 2024 to commence from May 29
The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Housing Authority:
Flat selection for the Sale of Home Ownership Scheme (HOS) Flats 2024 (HOS 2024) of the Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA) will commence from May 29.
"The HA will invite eligible applicants in batches to select flats for sale under HOS 2024 via mail or email according to the priority under the respective application category at the designated time at the Housing Authority Customer Service Centre (HACSC) in Lok Fu," a spokesman for the HA said today (May 21).
Flats for sale
Flats for sale under HOS 2024 include:
(i) |
a total of 7 132 flats from five new developments in Kai Tak, Yau Tong, Kwun Tong, Tuen Mun and Tung Chung (see Annex 1); |
(ii) |
about 300 rescinded flats sold under HOS 2020, HOS 2022 and HOS 2023; and |
(iii) |
a new batch of about 400 recovered Tenants Purchase Scheme (TPS) flats. |
"Sales brochures (and sales pamphlets for recovered TPS flats) and price lists will be made available for public collection at the HACSC in Lok Fu and for viewing on the HA/Housing Department (HD)'s designated websites (www.housingauthority.gov.hk/hos/2024)starting from seven days before commencement (i.e. May 22) up to the end of the flat selection period for HOS 2024," the spokesman said.
Project models on the new developments and doll houses of HOS typical flats, virtual videos of samples of HOS flats, virtual reality tours of the interior of samples of HOS and recovered TPS flats, exhibition panels/electronic panels and other information on HOS developments and TPS estates will be available for public viewing at the HACSC in Lok Fu and on the designated websites.
During the flat selection period, photos and video clips of the interior of all recovered TPS flats for sale will be provided at the HACSC in Lok Fu and on the designated websites. Arrangements will be made with relevant stakeholders to facilitate their viewing of the recovered TPS flats put up for sale under HOS 2024 as far as practicable.
Flat price
The average flat selling price of the HOS flats is set at a 30 per cent discount from the assessed market values, i.e. for sale at 70 per cent of the assessed market values. The selling prices of flats in the five new HOS developments range from $1.43 million to $4.67 million, with an average selling price of about $2.7 million.
"Based on the average flat selling price at about $2.7 million (saleable area of about 35 square metres or about 380 square feet), the mortgage payment is about $11,600 per month, assuming that he/she takes out a mortgage at 90 per cent of the flat price for a term of 30 years at an interest rate of 4 per cent. For one to two-person flats, which we believe will be welcomed by young families and young people, the average selling price is about $1.7 million and the mortgage payment is about $7,300 per month," a spokesman for the HA said.
Applications received
During the application period, the HA received a total of around 106 000 applications for HOS 2024 (comprising around 78 000 White Forms and around 28 000 Green Forms), with an oversubscription rate of about 14 times. Among the applications received, around 50 000 came from family applicants, of which around 19 000 applied under the Priority Scheme for Families with Elderly Members (Priority Elderly Scheme) and Families with Newborns Flat Selection Priority Scheme (Priority Newborns Scheme) (around 40 per cent of family applicants). In addition, around 56 000 applications were received from one-person applicants.
Sequence of priority for flat selection
The sequence of priority for flat selection by eligible applicants will be determined by the application category, quota allocation and ballot results. The HA has implemented the Priority Newborns Scheme announced under "The Chief Executive's 2023 Policy Address" as scheduled, and a quota of 2 900 flats has been set for families applying under the Priority Elderly Scheme and the newly introduced Priority Newborns Scheme. Separately, a quota of 700 flats has been set for one-person applicants. For the HOS 2024 sequence of priority of different application categories, please refer to Annex 2.
Refinements to the arrangement of quota allocation
To provide applicants in different application categories a reasonable chance to purchase flats in different developments, starting from HOS 2024, the quota will be set on a project-by-project basis according to the respective number of flats in individual new HOS developments. In each development, the quota for the Priority Newborns Scheme and the Priority Elderly Scheme is 40 per cent of the number of flats in the development, and the quota for one-person applicants is 10 per cent of the number of flats in the development.
CFS to follow up certain batches of powdered infant and young children formula with possible presence of Cereulide produced by Bacillus cereus
The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) today (January 10) said that, it took initiative to meet with Nestlé Hong Kong again today, and confirmed the company's today announcement of an additional batch of powdered infant and young children formula suspected to have possibly used the raw material concerned. Nestlé Hong Kong has voluntarily stopped sales, removed from shelves the affected products and has initiated a precautionary recall. The CFS has collected samples of powdered infant and young children formula from the market for Bacillus cereus testing, the test results so far were satisfactory. The Environmental and Ecology Bureau is also closely monitoring the supply situation of other formula milk powder and maintaining communication with other major suppliers. It is noted that there is sufficient formula milk powder to meet the demand.
The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD), Photo source: reference image
The spokesman said, the CFS has been actively following up on Nestlé company's voluntary and precautionary recalls of certain batches of its powdered infant and young children formula in certain areas in Europe due to possible presence of Cereulide produced by Bacillus cereus in the individual raw material. According to the latest information from Nestlé Hong Kong today, an additional batch of its powdered infant and young children formula imported into Hong Kong might have used the raw material concerned. The CFS had earlier enhanced surveillance in the market and collected a sample from the above batch for testing of Bacillus cereus. The test result of the sample was satisfactory. Nevertheless, as a precautionary measure, Nestlé Hong Kong has voluntarily stopped sales, removed from shelves the affected products and has initiated a precautionary recall.
Product details are as follows:
Product name (Net weight): NAN PRO 1 2 HMO (800g)
Batch number: 51670742F2
Best-before date: June 16, 2027
Place of Origin: Germany
"The CFS met Nestlé Hong Kong again today, urging them to properly handle the product recall issue and respond to public enquiries, in order to safeguard consumers' legitimate rights and interests. In addition, the CFS and Nestlé Hong Kong have jointly followed up, six suspected affected batches of infant and young children formula products that had not entered the market were marked and sealed. An additional 15 batches are currently en route to Hong Kong and will also be marked and sealed upon arrival. The CFS will continue to closely monitor the recall matters and remain fully committed to ensuring food safety, " the spokesman said.
Nestlé Hong Kong has initiated a recall of the affected batches of the products concerned. For enquiries about the recall, members of the public may contact the company through the following channels:
Consumer services hotline: 2599 8874 / 2797 6031/ 2179 8136 (Monday to Sunday, 9am to 9pm)
Email: consumerservices@hk.nestle.com
WhatsApp: 5283 4139 (NESTLÉ® NAN®) / 2599 8871 (Wyeth® Nutrition)
Online form: forms.office.com/e/BhqMhWfsUG?origin=lprLink
Consumers may choose to bring along the products (brand new or opened) for refund at place of purchase, or at exclusive service counters of Nestlé Nutrition Services from January 13 (Tuesday) onwards, to settle the recall and refund of the batches of the products concerned. Details of the exclusive service counters are as follows:
Kowloon Services Counter
Address: G/F, Park Hovan Commercial Building, 18 Hillwood Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon (MTR Jordon Station Exit D)
Contact number: 3996 8196
Office hour: Monday to Saturday, 11am to 7.30pm; Sunday, 1pm to 5.30pm (except public holidays)
Hong Kong Services Counter
Address: 1/F, Ka Nin Wah Commercial Building, 423-425 Hennessy Road, Hong Kong (MTR Causeway Bay Station Exit B)
Contact number: 3996 8197
Office hour: Monday to Saturday, 11am to 7.30pm (except Sundays and public holidays)
The CFS, through its Food Incident Surveillance System, noted earlier that certain batches of Nestlé powdered infant formula were being voluntarily recalled in Europe due to possible contamination with Bacillus cereus. Upon learning of the incident, the CFS has immediately initiated follow up actions, published food incident posts to inform the public and the trade about the issue, and has been actively following up on the incident and enhanced surveillance.
Over the past three days (as of 4pm on January 9), the FEHD received a total of 18 food complaints and enquiries suspected to be related to the infant and young children formula products, including one anonymous complaint without contact information. The CFS and the Environmental Hygiene Branch have promptly followed up on all cases, including contacting the parties concerned to obtain details and collecting samples for testing. In addition, the CFS has referred the cases to the health department for follow-up. At present, no food poisoning cases related to the formula have been recorded.
Bacillus cereus is commonly found in the environment. Unhygienic conditions in food processing and storage may give rise to its growth. Cereulide is a heat-stable toxin produced in food by some strains of Bacillus cereus. Consuming food contaminated with excessive Bacillus cereus or its heat-stable toxins may cause gastrointestinal upset such as vomiting and diarrhoea.
The spokesman urged members of the public not to let infants and young children consume the affected batches of the products, and to seek medical treatment for infants or young children who felt unwell after taking the products concerned. The trade should also stop using or selling the affected batches of the products immediately.
"The CFS continues to closely monitor the developments of the situation, follow up and take appropriate action," the spokesman said.
The infant formula of Nestlé, Photo source: online image
