Key Changes in Hong Kong's 2025 Subsidized Housing Policy

2025Policy Address includes several substantial adjustments in "enriching the home ownership ladder" and the subsidized housing system: the ratio of Green Form to White Form has been adjusted to 50:50, the resale restriction for new Home Ownership Scheme/Green Form Subsidized Home Ownership Scheme flats has been reduced from 15 years to 10 years, the White Form Secondary Market quota has been increased to 7,000 (with an additional 1,000, half of which is allocated to those under 40 years old); at the same time, the "Elderly Home Owners Flat-for-Flat Scheme" and a pilot scheme for renting out flats without premium payment have been introduced. Below, we quickly break down the key points with the 6 questions that readers are most concerned about.

Q1｜What are the three most "critical" changes to subsidized housing this year?

• The green and white form ratio has been adjusted to 50:50 (up from the old system's 40:60), based on a significant increase in Home Ownership Scheme (HOS) supply, aiming to help more public housing tenants move to home ownership while freeing up their original public housing units for those on the waiting list.
• The resale restriction period for new sale units has been reduced from 15 years to 10 years, applicable to HOS and Green Form Subsidized Home Ownership Scheme (GSH) units launched from the next phase onwards, helping to improve market fluidity.
• The quota for White Form Secondary Market Scheme (WSM) has been increased by 1,000 to 7,000; half of the additional quota is allocated to young families and single applicants under 40 years old; and more approval letters will be issued to avoid quota wastage.

Q2｜Increased Quotas for "White Form 2", Who Benefits the Most?

• Total Quota: Increased from 6,000 to 7,000; of the additional 1,000, 500 will be specifically allocated to young families and single applicants under 40 years old.
• Approval Letter Issuance: To prevent "vacant quotas" due to changes in personal intentions, the Housing Authority will issue approval letters in appropriate excess to ensure the quotas are fully utilized.

Q3｜The transfer restriction period for Home Ownership Scheme (HOS)/Green Form Subsidised Home Ownership Scheme (GSH) units is changed to 10 years. Which batch of units does this affect?

• Content: The transfer restriction period for newly sold subsidised sale flats (HOS/GSH) has been changed from 15 years → 10 years.
• Effective scope: This applies to projects launched from the next sales phase onwards; existing sold units maintain their original terms.
• The policy intent is to accelerate turnover and respond to market needs.

Q4｜What is the "Elderly Owner Flat-for-Flat Scheme"? How does it help financially constrained elderly?

• Target Group: Owners aged 60 or above, who have held subsidized sale flats for ≥10 years.
• Arrangement: They can first sell their current flat in the Secondary Market, and without paying a premium, purchase a smaller or more remote subsidized flat; the aim is to convert assets into usable cash flow, while freeing up urban or larger flats for families in need.

Q5｜Can unpriced units really be rented out? What are the thresholds for the pilot plan?

• Pilot arrangement: The Housing Authority and Housing Society will implement a pilot plan, allowing owners of subsidized sale units held for ≥10 years to pay a rental permit fee and rent out unpriced units to eligible White Form applicants; quota of 3,000.
• This provides more options for White Form individuals who cannot purchase property in the short term, while improving the usage efficiency of existing subsidized housing.