Home-sharing scheme to roll out for low-income families in Hong Kong

HONG KONG -- Hong Kong Council of Social Service has announced a flat-share program for 1,000 low-income households which will be launched by mid-next year, according to local newspaper The Standard on Wednesday.

The program will help some of the 14,400 people currently living in subdivided units who have been on the public housing waiting list for more than three years, and the rent will be capped at one quarter of the tenant's income, according to the council.

Eligible tenants should fulfill three criteria: they should be in the queue for public rental housing for not less than three years, are currently living in dismal and high rental housing conditions, and are in urgent need of community support due to low income.

Under the scheme, the council will play a middleman role, renting flats from private owners and renovating them. It will then sublet the flats to non-governmental organizations (NGO), which in turn will rent them to their target groups.