Hong Kong Announces Joint Application Period for HOS, GSH, and WSM Housing Schemes Starting April 30

Joint launch of HOS 2025, GSH 2025 and WSM 2025 to drive upward mobility and home ownership

The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Housing Authority:

The Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA) announced today (April 22) that the Sale of Home Ownership Scheme (HOS) Flats 2025 (HOS 2025), the Sale of Green Form Subsidised Home Ownership Scheme (GSH) Flats 2025 (GSH 2025) and the White Form Secondary Market Scheme (WSM) 2025 (WSM 2025) will accept joint applications from eligible applicants for three weeks starting from 8am on April 30 until 7pm on May 20.

Streamlined application arrangements with optimised process

"To streamline application arrangements for the convenience of applicants, HOS 2025, GSH 2025 and WSM 2025 will be launched together. Eligible applicants may submit an online application or a paper application either in person or by post. In addition, to determine the flat selection priority for HOS 2025 and GSH 2025 and the quota allocation for WSM 2025, a separate ballot will be conducted on the same day in the second quarter of 2026 for the three schemes. Flat selection for HOS 2025 and GSH 2025 is expected to commence from the fourth quarter of this year and the third/fourth quarter of this year respectively. For WSM 2025, Approval Letters for successful applicants are expected to be issued in the fourth quarter of this year for their applications for the Certificate of Eligibility to Purchase," a spokesman for the HA said.

Surge in HOS supply by almost 50 per cent to enhance opportunities for first-time buyers

"The Government has been consistently implementing housing policies. The total public housing supply in the coming five years is expected to grow steadily, and the number of HOS flats offered for sale will increase significantly. It is estimated that the supply of HOS flats for the next five-year period (2026/27 to 2030/31) will stand at around 59 000 flats, representing an increase of almost 50 per cent as compared to the first five-year period when the current Government's term took office (2022/23 to 2026/27). Furthermore, the number of HOS flats offered for sale has increased from about 4 000 flats per year a few years ago to about 9 000 flats per year currently, averaging around 12 000 flats per year in the coming five years. With such a significant increase in supply, including some in urban areas such as Kowloon City, Kwun Tong and Sham Shui Po, the chances for applicants for subsidised sale flats to purchase a flat have been greatly enhanced," the spokesman said.

The HA also proactively and fully supports the Government's plan for long-term housing arrangements for Wang Fuk Court (WFC) in Tai Po. Two thousand flats under HOS 2025 and GSH 2025 will be reserved for purchase by WFC owners who have sold their titles through the Special Sales Exercise.

Supply of almost 8 000 units in six projects with diverse locations and flat types

The flats for sale under HOS 2025 include about 7 000 flats in five new HOS developments located in Kai Tak, Kam Tin, Tseung Kwan O, Ping Shan and Tung Chung respectively, with saleable areas ranging from about 26.1 square metres to about 52.0 sq m (about 281 square feet to about 560 sq ft).

Flats for sale under GSH 2025 include over 800 new flats from the new GSH development in Kowloon Bay, Shing Chi Court, with saleable areas ranging from about 26.0 sq m to about 43.6 sq m (about 280 sq ft to about 469 sq ft). In addition, a new batch of recovered Tenants Purchase Scheme (TPS) flats will be offered for sale under GSH 2025.

The flats put up for sale under HOS 2025 and GSH 2025 offer a diverse range of choices, ensuring that young families, first-time homebuyers, and applicants seeking to improve their living environment can purchase a flat that suits their needs. Please refer to Annex 1 and Annex 2 for details of flats offered for sale under HOS 2025 and GSH 2025.

Affordable pricing to facilitate home ownership

The HA continues to price HOS and GSH flats at an affordable level, helping the public to step onto the property ladder with ease and realise the dream of homeownership. The discount to be applied to the assessed market values of the flats for sale is determined based on the affordability of the applicants, i.e. at least 75 per cent of the flats for sale will allow non-owner occupier households earning the median monthly household income to spend no more than 40 per cent of their monthly income on mortgage payments. Based on this principle of setting selling prices at an affordable level, the discount for HOS 2025 is set at 30 per cent of the assessed market values (i.e. for sale at 70 per cent of the assessed market values). The selling prices of the flats in the five new HOS developments range from about $1.5 million to about $4.8 million. The mortgage payment is about $11,300 per month, assuming a flat selling price at $2.8 million and that the buyer takes out a mortgage at 90 per cent of the flat price for a mortgage repayment period of 30 years at a prevailing mortgage interest rate of about 3.5 per cent.

GSH flats will be sold at a discount of 10 per cent more than that of the preceding HOS sale exercise. Since the discount rate for the HOS 2025 was set at 30 per cent, the discount for GSH 2025 was set at 40 per cent from the assessed market values (i.e. for sale at 60 per cent of the assessed market values). The selling prices of flats in the new GSH development range from about $1.68 million to $3.54 million. The mortgage payment is about $11,500 per month, assuming a flat selling price at $2.7 million and that the buyer takes out a mortgage at 95 per cent of the flat price for a mortgage repayment period of 30 years at a prevailing mortgage interest rate of about 3.5 per cent.

The list prices of the unsold TPS flats in the 39 estates range from about $0.16 million to $1.37 million, and the discounts range from 79 per cent to 83 per cent of the assessed market values. The final price range will depend on the recovered TPS flats that will be put up for sale under this sales exercise.

Implementing Policy Address initiatives to enrich housing ladder

HOS 2025, GSH 2025 and WSM 2025 will implement a series of measures that encourage members of the public to move upward along the housing ladder, including:

(i) Facilitating upward mobility of young people: An extra ballot number will be allocated to young family applicants and young one-person applicants aged below 40 with White Form (WF) status who opted to join the Youth Scheme (HOS);

(ii) Increasing the chances of success for applicants in purchasing a flat: An extra ballot number will be allocated to applicants who have failed to purchase a subsidised sales flat (SSF) in the last two consecutive sale exercises of the same type of SSF. The HOS and GSH will be conducted separately;

(iii) Encouraging Public Rental Housing (PRH) tenants to purchase SSFs: The quota allocation ratio between Green Form and WF will be increased from 40:60 to 50:50;

(iv) Encouraging upward mobility through the housing ladder: The alienation restriction period of new SSFs put up for sale in the open market will be shortened from 15 years to 10 years from the date of the first assignment; and

(v) Increasing the WSM quota: The quota will be further increased by 1 000 to 7 000, which includes 2 000 quotas for young applicants aged below 40, while the remaining 5 000 are ordinary quotas.

Interested applicants mayvisittheHA/Housing Department (HD)'s designated websitestolearn aboutthekeyhighlights of thevarious measures anduse the newly launched Eligibility Checker toget a preliminary view ofthe plans which they may choose to join and the anticipated number of ballots.

Priority flat selection for families with newborns or elderly and extra support for single applicants

The order of priority for flat selection by eligible applicants will be determined by the application category, quota allocation and ballot results. Affected tenants of the HA's announced PRH clearance projects (i.e. Wah On House, Wah Lok House, Wah Cheong House, Wah Tai House and Wah Kin House of Wah Fu Estate; Pik Hoi House, Kam Pik House and Tan Fung House of Choi Hung Estate; Geranium House and Narcissus House of Ma Tau Wai Estate and Sai Wan Estate) who would like to purchase an SSF in lieu of PRH will be accorded priority in flat selection over other applicants under HOS 2025 and GSH 2025.

The HA sets a quota of 2 800 new HOS flats under HOS 2025 and 350 new GSH flats under GSH 2025 for family applicants applying under the Priority Scheme for Families with Elderly Members and the Families with Newborns Flat Selection Priority Scheme for ballot and priority flat selection (i.e. about 40 per cent of the number of new flats for sale). Separately, to provide one-person applicants with a reasonable opportunity to purchase, the HA has set a quota of 700 new HOS flats under HOS 2025 and 100 new GSH flats under GSH 2025 for one-person applicants (i.e. about 10 per cent of the number of new flats for sale).

Diversified information and exhibitions for easy understanding of the developments

Starting from tomorrow (April 23), application forms, application guides, and sales booklets/leaflets will be available on the HA/HD's designated websites for HOS 2025 (www.housingauthority.gov.hk/hos/2025), GSH 2025 (www.housingauthority.gov.hk/gsh/2025) and WSM 2025 (www.housingauthority.gov.hk/wsm/2025), while printed copies can be obtained during office hours from the HA Customer Service Centre (HACSC) in Lok Fu, the office of the HA's GSH Sales Unit in Kwun Tong, estate offices and District Tenancy Management Offices of the HA, rental estate offices of the Hong Kong Housing Society and the Home Affairs Enquiry Centres.

Sales exhibition in respect of the HOS developments under HOS 2025 and the relevant information on WSM 2025 will be available for public viewing at the HACSC in Lok Fu starting from April 23 up to the end of the application period. A sales exhibition in respect of GSH developments and TPS estates under GSH 2025 will be available for public viewing at the GSH Sales Office. Related information is also available on the designated websites.

The HA reminds members of the public to read the Application Guide carefully before submitting an application. They may also call the 24-hour HA Sales Hotline at 2712 8000 for enquiries concerning applications for HOS 2025, GSH 2025 and WSM 2025.

Applications for Sale of Green Form Subsidised Home Ownership Scheme Flats 2025 will commence on April 30. Photo shows a project model of Shing Chi Court, a new development project under the scheme. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Applications for Sale of Green Form Subsidised Home Ownership Scheme Flats 2025 will commence on April 30. Photo shows a doll house of Flat 15, 3/F to 38/F, Block B, Shing Chi Court, a new development project under the scheme. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Applications for Sale of Home Ownership Scheme Flats 2025 will commence on April 30. Photo shows a project model of Ying Fai Court, a new development project under the scheme. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Applications for Sale of Home Ownership Scheme Flats 2025 will commence on April 30. Photo shows a doll house of Flat 1, 2/F to 39/F, Block A, Ying Fai Court, a new development project under the scheme. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Applications for Sale of Home Ownership Scheme Flats 2025 will commence on April 30. Photo shows a project model of Kai Yeung Court, a new development project under the scheme. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Applications for Sale of Home Ownership Scheme Flats 2025 will commence on April 30. Photo shows a doll house of Flat 18, 1/F to 40/F, Block B, Kai Yeung Court, a new development project under the scheme. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Applications for Sale of Home Ownership Scheme Flats 2025 will commence on April 30. Photo shows a project model of Yu Fung Court, a new development project under the scheme. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Applications for Sale of Home Ownership Scheme Flats 2025 will commence on April 30. Photo shows a project model of Long Fung Court, a new development project under the scheme. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Applications for Sale of Home Ownership Scheme Flats 2025 will commence on April 30. Photo shows a doll house of Flat 2, 3/F to 40/F, Block D, Long Fung Court, a new development project under the scheme. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Applications for Sale of Home Ownership Scheme Flats 2025 will commence on April 30. Photo shows a project model of Wui Hei Court, a new development project under the scheme. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Incoming passenger convicted and jailed for possession of duty-not-paid cigarettes

An incoming passenger was sentenced to four months' imprisonment by the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts today (April 22) for possessing duty-not-paid cigarettes and failing to declare them to Customs officers, in contravention of the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance (DCO).

Customs officers intercepted a 26-year-old incoming male passenger at Hong Kong International Airport yesterday (April 21) and seized 49 200 duty-not-paid cigarettes, with an estimated market value of $221,400 and a duty potential of about $162,600 from his personal baggage. The passenger was subsequently arrested.

Customs welcomes the sentence. The custodial sentence has imposed a considerable deterrent effect and reflects the seriousness of the offences.

Customs reminds members of the public that under the DCO, cigarettes are dutiable goods to which the DCO applies. Any person who imports, deals with, possesses, sells or buys illicit cigarettes commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $2 million and imprisonment for seven years.

Members of the public may report any suspected illicit cigarette activities to Customs' 24-hour hotline 182 8080 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).

Incoming passenger convicted and jailed for possession of duty-not-paid cigarettes Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases