Subdivided Flat Resident's Public Housing Scheme Rejected by Netizens Over Policy Violations
SingTao · 1 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago5 MIN
Summary
A social media post published on a Hong Kong discussion forum has sparked widespread debate after a subdivided flat resident revealed their mother had been misled by park gossip about elderly residents successfully adding family members to their public rental units. The poster's mother, upon hearing about an elderly woman who allegedly added her daughter to a one-person flat and later obtained a second unit through household splitting, pressured her child to replicate this approach by joining their 80-year-old grandfather's public housing account. The post attracted hundreds of critical comments from netizens who systematically dismantled the plan by referencing actual Housing Department policies, with many stating bluntly that the poster was "thinking too much."
Key Points
- The poster currently rents a subdivided flat (劏房) while their 80-year-old grandfather lives alone in a one-person public rental unit
- The poster's father has passed away, their mother remarried and lives in public housing with a stepfather, and the poster only later moved to Hong Kong
- Netizens clarified that adding a daughter constitutes a direct relative (直系親屬), whereas adding a grandchild does not qualify for inheritance or household splitting
- Former applicants with similar situations confirmed that grandchild applications are "definitely not approved" and even temporary stays require vacating at age 18
- Netizens noted the Housing Department has closed the "one unit becomes two" loophole, and added members would simply be required to move out
Why It Matters
This incident highlights how persistent misconceptions about Hong Kong's public housing policies spread through informal channels like morning park gatherings, potentially leading families to pursue invalid strategies that waste administrative resources and create false hope. The Housing Department's recent intensified enforcement against abuse, including deployment of retired police officers for investigations, underscores the serious consequences of attempting to exploit perceived loopholes in the system .
This incident highlights how persistent misconceptions about Hong Kong's public housing policies spread through informal channels like morning park gatherings, potentially leading families to pursue invalid strategies that waste administrative resources and create false hope. The Housing Department's recent intensified enforcement against abuse, including deployment of retired police officers for investigations, underscores the serious consequences of attempting to exploit perceived loopholes in the system .