Applicants – comprising public housing tenants and Green Form certificate holders – arrived early, hoping to secure one of the discounted units on offer.
This year’s scheme centres on the newly developed Shing Chi Court in Kowloon Bay, where flats are being sold at 60 percent of the market price.
According to the Housing Authority, more than 800 units are available, ranging in size from about 280 to 469 square feet. Prices fall between HK$1.68 million and HK$3.54 million, making the development an attractive option for buyers.
In addition to the new inventory, the authority is also offering around 120 previously sold Green Form HOS flats and a fresh batch of about 400 recovered units from the Tenants Purchase Scheme.
Priority in the selection process has been given to tenants affected by the authority’s recently announced public rental housing clearance projects.
These include residents from five blocks at Wah Fu Estate, three blocks at Choi Hung Estate, two blocks at Ma Tau Wai Estate, and Sai Wan Estate – all of whom have the option of purchasing a subsidised flat rather than relocating to another rental unit.
The atmosphere at the sales centre was tense yet hopeful, with many prospective buyers arriving well before their scheduled slots. Applicants sat fixated on a large display screen, tracking which units had already been snapped up.
Among the successful buyers was a former resident of Wah Fu Estate, Ng, who was visibly thrilled to have landed his preferred home – a two-bedroom, 430-square-foot flat on a high floor of Block A for his family of three.
Speaking to reporters, he said the choice was a no-brainer.
“I like a higher floor because it offers a wider view. The transport links here are excellent. I walked to the nearby MTR stations and found it very convenient. And the price for the flat is also acceptable and within our budget,” Ng said.
Another happy buyer, Cheung, who is retired, previously lived in Sai Wan Estate.
She opted for a mid-floor, two-bedroom unit, citing Kowloon Bay’s established community and good transport connections as key factors.
But for her, the purchase carried a deeper meaning.
“Another thing that makes me happy is being able to choose what I want, and that we can pass our home on to someone in need – just like what happened to us back then,” Cheung said.
“When we lived in Sai Wan Estate, we only managed to get our flat because someone else had moved out.”
As for the move from Hong Kong Island to Kowloon, Cheung said that didn’t bother her, especially now that she is retired.
She added that she would actually be living closer to her family, and while it would take some time to readjust, she was looking forward to the change.