Hong Kong housing authorities quietly open door for same-sex couples

Hong Kong’s housing authorities have opened up applications for public rental and subsidised homes to same-sex couples as part of efforts to address a ruling from the city’s top court last year, the Post has learned.

The measures, including modifying the application form for seeking second-hand subsidised homes, were implemented without any public announcement.

While lawmakers said the government had responded to the Court of Final Appeal’s decision prudently and within a reasonable time frame, a concern group expressed hope that the changes could have been publicly announced.

In a reply to the Post, the Housing Authority said: “Upon receiving [public rental home] applications involving same-sex married spouses, we will handle the case in accordance with the practice adopted for the ‘ordinary families’ applicant category.”

A spokesman added that the authority would continue to process such applications and those for buying subsidised flats from same-sex married couples.

The authority had yet to receive any public rental housing applications from any same-sex couples as of Thursday.