Unity Hong Kong Fund: It is expected that the waiting time for public housing will continue to fluctuate in the coming seasons, but the overall trend of long-term decrease remains unchanged.

Ye Wenqi, Vice President and Executive Director of the Public Policy Research Institute of the Unity Hong Kong Fund, stated that the average waiting time for public housing applications in Hong Kong in the new quarter is 5.4 years. Although the number has increased compared to the previous quarter, it is only a technical rebound. Based on the steady increase in the completion of public housing units, the gradual introduction of simple public housing services, and the acceleration of public housing turnover, there is confidence that the long-term downward trend in waiting times will remain unchanged. He noted that in the second quarter of 2025, the "absolute main force" in the allocation of public housing units comes from refurbished units, showing that government measures to accelerate public housing turnover have been effective. Nevertheless, he expects that waiting times may continue to fluctuate in the coming quarters. According to the Housing Authority's estimates for the 2025-26 fiscal year, close to half of the units to be completed are located in urban and expanded urban areas, where applicants typically experience longer waiting times, which may have an impact on waiting times.