HK lawmakers push for faster rehousing of evicted subdivided flat tenants

Hong Kong lawmakers are calling on authorities to provide more timely and flexible urgent accommodation for residents displaced by new regulations aimed at eliminating subdivided flats. The Housing Bureau recently briefed legislators on plans to reserve up to 180 transitional flats in urban and extended urban areas for tenants facing short-notice evictions. However, concerns have been raised about the speed of processing: applicants currently must go through three rounds of review, taking approximately one week to arrange a flat.

Deputy chairman of the Legislative Council’s housing panel, Scott Leung Man-kwong, expressed confidence that 180 flats would be sufficient to meet demand, noting that landlords are prohibited from terminating tenancies before contracts expire and are unlikely to risk legal consequences. He argued that most evictions involve only dozens of households rather than entire buildings, making the reserve adequate. Despite this, Leung and other lawmakers emphasized the need for faster, more flexible processing to ensure truly urgent cases receive immediate help.