The perks of being poor and single in Hong Kong are only getting better. How about a fresh new shoebox for your saucy liaisons?
Under a new Housing Authority measure introduced on Wednesday, singletons who earn less than HKD24,500 per month and whose assets do not exceed HKD850,000 can apply to buy one of 200 government-subsidised flats, reports the SCMP. Better chuck your other halves quick, Coconauts.
The scheme was endorsed at a meeting of the authority’s Subsidised Housing Committee to cater to the needs of unmarried private tenants.
Back in September, quotas for unmarried applicants were also established in the sale of second-hand Home Ownership flats. Do you really save by living as a couple these days?
The last Home Ownership Scheme (HOS) sale was held back in March. About 58 percent of the total 135,000 applicants were unmarried tenants, but these individuals were given lower priority under the previous policy.
Members of the committee also approved a proposal to reserve half of the 2,657 HOS flats going on sale in February for applications from public tenants. This compares to the 6:4 ratio of sales to public and private tenants respectively in March.
Two Home Ownership Scheme projects will go on sale for 70 percent of the market value next February in Yuen Long and Sha Tin. So that’s for the bargain price of between HKD1.49 million and HKD3.27 million.
Committee chairman Stanley Wong Yuen-fai estimates that they will draw lots in May and that successful applicants can choose their flats in July.
Good luck. You’ll need it.
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