Housing Authority's estimated PRH allocation for 2026/27 records yearly increase of over 6 000 flats with estimated number of flats to be allocated to PRH applicants reaching 10-year high
The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Housing Authority:
The Subsidised Housing Committee (SHC) of the Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA) today (June 18) approved the estimated public rental housing (PRH) allocation for 2026-27 and noted the actual allocation in 2025-26.
Estimated allocation surges as public housing production heads for breakthroughs
A spokesman for the HA said that the HA's actual allocation in 2025-26 has reached a total of 28 280 flats. Under the current-term Government's unremitting efforts to "enhance speed, quantity, quality and efficiency", the PRH production forecasts in 2026-27 will significantly increase by 44 per cent (i.e. about 6 900 flats) as compared with the previous year, bringing the estimated number of PRH flats available for allocation to approximately 34 500 (including about 14 600 new flats and about 19 900 recovered flats). The overall estimates are over 15 per cent higher than the estimates in 2025-26, of which the number of new flats has increased by 66 per cent (i.e. about 5 800) in comparison with the previous year.
Among the flats available for allocation in 2026-27, 26 750 flats (i.e. 77.5 per cent) will be allocated to PRH applicants. This represents an increase of over 70 per cent as compared with the annual average of 15 700 flats for the past three years before the current-term Government assumed office. Meanwhile, the estimated number of flats to be allocated to PRH applicants has reached a 10-year high.
Sufficient flats reserved for clearance and redevelopment
As regards other categories of applicants, the HA will reserve 1 300 flats for rehousing residents affected by clearance projects planned by various departments, and residents affected by other Government's squatter clearances, emergency clearances, unauthorised rooftop structure clearances and so forth. Among them, 300 flats will be set aside for rehousing residents affected by the Urban Renewal Authority's redevelopment projects scheduled for 2026-27.
Meanwhile, the HA will also reserve 1 150 flats under the category of the HA's Estate Clearance and Major Repairs to facilitate the clearance programmes of Wah Fu Estate, Choi Hung Estate, Sai Wan Estate and Ma Tau Wai Estate.
Making every effort to cater for Compassionate Rehousing and flexibly reserve flats to meet transfer needs
In the past, the HA has long handled all demands for Compassionate Rehousing (CR) as recommended by the Social Welfare Department without setting any upper limit. The HA will reserve 300 flats for allocation under the CR category in 2026-27.
Under the category of Transfers, an estimate of 4 000 flats will be reserved for various transfer purposes in 2026-27, among which a quota of 1 300 will be used for the transfer of under-occupation households so that more large flats can be recovered for easing the pressing demand of applicants with four or more household members. Moreover, the HA will reserve around 1 000 flats for the Transfer Scheme for Improving the Living Environment. The remaining 1 700 flats will be flexibly deployed for other transfer purposes, including Special Transfer, the Harmonious Families Transfer Scheme and transfers under the Full Rent Exemption Scheme for Elderly Households.
For the category of Junior Civil Servants, the HA will continue to reserve 1 000 flats under the Civil Service Public Housing Quota Scheme in 2026-27.
Efficient use of resources for flexible allocation
The HA makes annual projections of the supply of PRH flats that can be allocated in the coming year and how such flats will be allocated to the various categories of demands. The HA will closely monitor any changes in society and maintain flexibility in the allocation of PRH flats to optimise the use of resources.
The breakdown of estimated allocations for various categories in 2026-27 is available in the Annex.
Source: AI-found images
Employers and employees should make work arrangements in times of rainstorm warnings
The Labour Department (LD) today (June 18) reminded employers to make prior work arrangements for employees during and after rainstorm warnings and extreme conditions as early as possible. These arrangements not only can ensure the safety of employees and smooth operation of organisations, but also are conducive to maintaining good labour relations.
Formulate work arrangements
Employers should make prior work arrangements and contingency measures which are reasonable and practical. In drawing up and implementing the relevant arrangements, employers should give prime consideration to employees' safety and the feasibility of employees travelling to and from their workplaces, etc. To avoid unnecessary disputes between employers and employees, employers should ensure that all employees are informed of and agree to the relevant work arrangements in advance. The work arrangements should cover the following areas:
* arrangements in respect of reporting for duty;
* arrangements in respect of early release from work;
* arrangements in respect of work resumption (e.g. the number of hours within which employees should resume duty after the relevant warning signal is cancelled or when extreme conditions come to an end, and when safety and traffic conditions allow);
* arrangements in respect of remote work (if applicable);
*arrangements regarding wages and allowances (e.g. calculation of wages and allowances in respect of reporting for duty); and
* arrangements for staff required to report for duty in times of adverse weather or extreme conditions.
"Employers should conduct an early and realistic assessment of whether there is any need for staff to report for duty at workplaces when rainstorm warning or extreme conditions are in force. In making the assessment, employers should take into account the safety of employees, the business nature, operational needs and urgency of service of their organisations, with due regard to the manpower requirements, staffing establishment and circumstances of individual employees, and keep the number of staff required to report for duty at workplaces to the minimum as far as possible," a spokesman for the LD said.
Work arrangements in times of adverse weather and extreme conditions
If a Red or Black Rainstorm Warning Signal is issued within working hours, employees working indoors should continue to work as usual unless it is dangerous to do so. Supervisors of employees working outdoors or in exposed areas should suspend outdoor duties as soon as practicable. They should arrange for their employees to take shelter temporarily and resume duty only when weather conditions permit. If the Black Rainstorm Warning Signal is still in force at the end of working hours, employees should stay in a safe place until the heavy rain has passed. Employers should also make available to employees a suitable area in the workplace as temporary shelter from wind and rain.
If the Government makes an extreme conditions announcement, except for those required to report for duty at workplaces according to prior agreements made with employers, employees should stay where they are or in safe places, instead of heading for work. Employees already on duty at workplaces could continue to work as usual in a safe manner. If the workplaces are in danger, employers should arrange to release staff from work early where practicable and safe to do so or arrange for them to take temporary shelter in a safe place. If working time ends while extreme conditions are still in force, employers can release employees from workplaces in a safe manner or provide a suitable area as temporary shelter for those still at workplaces.
If it is necessary for employees to report for duty at workplaces under adverse weather or extreme conditions, employers should discuss and agree with them in advance the duty arrangements and contingency measures. If public transport is suspended or only maintains a limited service when the Black Rainstorm Warning Signal or extreme conditions are in force, employers should provide safe transport services for employees travelling to and from workplaces, or grant them an additional travelling allowance.
The spokesman also reminded employers to observe the statutory liabilities and requirements under the Employment Ordinance, Occupational Safety and Health Ordinance, Factories and Industrial Undertakings Ordinance, Employees' Compensation Ordinance and Minimum Wage Ordinance.
Comply with requirements of legislation
"Tropical cyclones and rainstorms are natural calamities. If employees are not required to report for duty, or are released from workplaces early, or are unable to report for duty at workplaces or resume work on time, etc due to adverse weather, extreme conditions or other environmental factors beyond their control, employers should not deduct their wages, good attendance bonus, or allowances, nor require employees to compensate subsequently for the loss of working hours in response to the aforementioned situations, or reduce employees' entitlements to annual leave, statutory holidays or rest days under the Employment Ordinance to compensate for the loss of working hours resulting from the issuance of adverse weather warnings or the extreme conditions announcement," the spokesman said.
Employers have an obligation to provide and maintain a safe working environment for their employees under the Occupational Safety and Health Ordinance and the Factories and Industrial Undertakings Ordinance. If employees are required to work in times of tropical cyclone warnings, rainstorm warnings or extreme conditions, employers should ensure that the risks at work are reduced as far as reasonably practicable. Moreover, under the Employees' Compensation Ordinance, employers are liable to pay compensation for injuries or deaths incurred when employees are travelling by a direct route from their residence to their workplace, or from their workplace back to their residence after work, four hours before or after working hours on a day when Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal No. 8 or higher, a Red or Black Rainstorm Warning Signal or extreme conditions are in force.
The LD's latest revised "Code of Practice in Times of Adverse Weather and 'Extreme Conditions'" sets out the relevant guidelines in a reader-friendly and concise manner, reiterating the three major principles for formulating work arrangements under adverse weather and extreme conditions, including formulating work arrangements in advance, giving prime consideration to employees' safety, and complying with requirements of labour legislation, and incorporating corporate examples for reference. The booklet can be obtained from branch offices of the Labour Relations Division or downloaded from the department's webpage (www.labour.gov.hk/eng/public/wcp/Rainstorm.pdf).
