Hong Kong urged to boost private housing supply as student demand jumps 45%
‘When universities cannot provide sufficient accommodation, demand will shift to the private market – the government must devise a careful plan,’ lawmaker says
Hong Kong authorities are facing calls to increase the proportion of private housing in selected districts and work more closely with developers to expand accommodation for non-local students.
The government forecasts annual demand for non-local student housing at 2,310 flats over the next decade, 45 per cent higher than last year’s estimate, according to the latest Long-Term Housing Strategy progress report, released on Monday.
The Housing Bureau attributed the projection to an average annual increase of about 7,100 student visas between 2016-17 and 2025-26, noting that roughly 65 per cent of those students did not live in university-provided halls or hostels.
The latest projection comes as five public universities in Hong Kong rank among the top 100 in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings.
