Flat Selection for Sale of Home Ownership Scheme Flats 2025 to Commence from October 21

Flat selection for Sale of Home Ownership Scheme Flats 2025 to commence from October 21

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

Flat selection for the Sale of Home Ownership Scheme (HOS) Flats 2025 (HOS 2025) of the Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA) will commence from October 21. The HA will invite eligible applicants in batches by post or email to select flats for sale under HOS 2025 at the designated time at the Housing Authority Customer Service Centre (HACSC) in Lok Fu, according to the priority under the respective application category.

The Hong Kong Housing Authority. Photo source: reference image

Flat selection for HOS 2025 to commence soon enhancing the housing ladder

"The HA has long been striving to enhance the housing ladder. In order to assist Public Rental Housing (PRH) tenants with better financial capabilities and other eligible applicants to achieve upward mobility by purchasing subsidised sales flats (SSFs), the HA launches various types of SSF schemes and continuously enhances the relevant arrangements. The HA jointly launched HOS 2025, the Sale of Green Form Subsidised Home Ownership Scheme (GSH) Flats 2025 (GSH 2025) and the White Form Secondary Market Scheme 2025 with applications invited in April. The ballots for the three schemes were separately drawn on July 10. Flat selection for GSH 2025 was completed in mid-September, and all GSH flats offered have been sold to Green Form applicants. With flat selection for HOS 2025 will commence on October 21, eligible applicants may take this opportunity to fulfil their home ownership aspirations early," a spokesman for the HA said today (October 13).

Nearly 7 000 flats in five projects with diverse locations and flat types

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) (see Annex 1). In addition, about 400 resale HOS flats will be offered for sale under HOS 2025.

Photo source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Affordable pricing to facilitate home ownership

The HA continues to determine the selling price of HOS flats at an affordable level, helping members of the public to step onto the housing ladder and realise the dream of homeownership. Based on the principle of setting selling prices at an affordable level, the discount rate for HOS 2025 was set at 30 per cent from the assessed market level (i.e. for sale at 70 per cent of the assessed market values).

The selling prices of the flats in the new HOS developments under HOS 2025 range from about $1.5 million to about $4.8 million. Assuming a flat selling price of $2.8 million (saleable area around 36.2 sq m or 390 sq ft) with a 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, the monthly mortgage payment is about $11,300.

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.

The HA has set a quota of 2 800 new HOS flats (i.e. about 40 per cent of the number of new flats for sale) under HOS 2025 for eligible family applicants applying under the Priority Scheme for Families with Elderly Members and Families with Newborns Flat Selection Priority Scheme for priority flat selection. Separately, to provide one-person applicants with a reasonable opportunity to purchase flats, the HA has set a quota of 700 new HOS flats under HOS 2025 for one-person applicants (i.e. about 10 per cent of the number of new flats for sale). The HOS 2025 priority sequence of different application categories is set out in Annex 2.

Photo source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Diversified information and exhibitions for easy understanding of the developments

"Sales brochures and price lists for the HOS developments will be made available for public collection at the HACSC in Lok Fu and for viewing on the HA/Housing Department's designated website (www.housingauthority.gov.hk/hos/2025/en) from tomorrow (October 14) until the end of the flat selection period for HOS 2025," the spokesman said.

Project models of the new developments (see Annex 3) and doll houses of HOS typical flats, virtual videos of samples of HOS flats, virtual reality tours of the interiors of samples of HOS flats, exhibition panels/electronic panels and other information on HOS developments will be available for public viewing at the HACSC in Lok Fu and on the designated website.

Photo source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Photo source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Photo source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Photo source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Photo source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Applicants may call the 24-hour HA Sales Hotline at 2712 8000 for enquiries.

Ombudsman probes effectiveness of Leisure and Cultural Services Department's management of indoor fitness rooms

The following is issued on behalf of the Office of The Ombudsman:

The Ombudsman, Mr Jack Chan, today (October 13) announced the launch of a direct investigation operation to examine the effectiveness of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD)'s management of indoor fitness rooms.

The National 15th Five-Year Plan explicitly proposes to actively develop mass sports, extensively promote fitness activities for all and strengthen participation in fitness activities among young people, with a target of raising the proportion of the population regularly participating in physical exercise to approximately 40 per cent. The country will enhance the national fitness institutional system, and step up the planning and construction of venues and facilities in local communities. Hong Kong's First Five-Year Plan also proposes to drive wider participation in sports, and promote sports in the community with the goal of enhancing the overall health of the public.

Currently, the LCSD operates a total of 87 indoor fitness rooms, generally located within sports centres across various districts. However, except for holders of relevant qualifications recognised by the Physical Fitness Association of Hong Kong, China, members of the public who wish to register as a user of LCSD fitness rooms and hire fitness equipment must first attend a three-hour "Briefing on Proper Ways to Use Fitness Equipment" (Briefing Session) organised by the LCSD and then pass a written test, or complete its 12-hour "Fitness (Multi-gym) Training Course" (Training Course) with an attendance rate of at least 80 per cent. Between 2023 and 2025, the number of registered users of LCSD fitness rooms increased by 56 per cent from around 151 000 to 236 000, while the total number of user visits to fitness rooms per year increased by 50 per cent from around 4.852 million to 7.262 million.

A preliminary inquiry by the Office of The Ombudsman revealed a severe shortage of places for the Briefing Sessions and Training Courses organised by the LCSD. In 2025, the LCSD held around 1 000 Briefing Sessions throughout the year with a total of 25 000 places, but the total number of applications in the year was as many as 377 000. In the same year, the LCSD held around 2 500 Training Courses with a total of 58 500 places, but the total number of applications in the year reached 257 000. Unsuccessful applicants who cannot attend the Briefing Session or Training Course are not eligible to use the LCSD's fitness room facilities.

Mr Chan said, "Public recreation and sports facilities are of utmost importance to promoting participation in sports in the community. The high volume of applications for the LCSD's Briefing Sessions and Training Courses reflects keen public demand for use of fitness rooms. While the LCSD requires members of the public to either possess relevant qualifications or complete its fitness training before they can use its fitness rooms, no similar requirements are in place for other risky sports such as swimming. Furthermore, the supply of such training falls far short of demand. All these may be the biggest barrier for wider participation in the fitness sport and should be addressed and removed. The Office considers it necessary to review whether the qualification requirement for users still serves any practical need and whether a similar requirement is in place for public fitness rooms in the country and elsewhere."

Meanwhile, there are two types of hire charges for LCSD fitness rooms, i.e. an hourly ticket and a monthly ticket, the latter entitling the holder to unlimited use. In view of the higher demand by monthly ticket holders, most fitness rooms allocate a larger share of the quota to them. Starting from November 1, 2024, monthly ticket holders have been required to book fitness room facilities via SmartPLAY. In response to their calls for greater flexibility, the LCSD currently allows monthly ticket holders to cancel the booking via SmartPLAY up to one hour before the start of the booked session. The Office has received views that other members of the public can hardly proceed to the fitness room at such short notice, leading to wastage of the vacated place.

The Office also notes that the LCSD does not impose any penalties on monthly ticket holders for failing to take up a booked session. A monthly ticket holder who has made a booking but is absent need not take responsibility at all. Moreover, there is no cap on the number of sessions in fitness rooms that monthly ticket holders can book each day. Their actual use of the facilities is significantly less than the booked period. As a result, even though bookings are full, the actual number of users in the fitness rooms falls short of the number of hirers.

Mr Chan said, "LCSD fitness rooms are publicly funded and affordable. The facilities are scarce public resources and should be reasonably used. An appropriate balance should be struck between convenient booking and efficient use of limited public resources.

"With the promotion of fitness for all elevated to a national strategic level, the LCSD should proactively align with national development strategies by enhancing the mechanism for use of fitness rooms to foster broader participation in sports. In this light, I have decided to launch a direct investigation operation to examine the LCSD’s management of fitness rooms, including the mandatory training requirement prior to use of fitness rooms, the booking mechanism, the utilisation rate of fitness rooms, the LCSD’s monitoring measures and maintenance and repair of fitness equipment. Where necessary, pertinent recommendations will be made for improvement."

The Ombudsman welcomes views from members of the public on this topic. Written submissions should reach the Office of The Ombudsman by November 13:

Address: 30/F, China Merchants Tower, Shun Tak Centre

168–200 Connaught Road Central, Hong Kong

Fax: 2882 8149

Email: di496@ombudsman.hk

The Ombudsman, Mr Jack Chan, today (October 13) announced the launch of a direct investigation operation to examine the effectiveness of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD)'s management of indoor fitness rooms. Photo shows available quotas for the LCSD's indoor fitness rooms. Zero represents that the relevant slot was fully booked. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Ombudsman, Mr Jack Chan, today (October 13) announced the launch of a direct investigation operation to examine the effectiveness of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD)'s management of indoor fitness rooms. Photo shows an indoor fitness room of the LCSD. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases