30 h. ago Hong Kong housing chief pledges more ‘humane’ evictions for mentally ill tenants

Hong Kong’s housing minister has pledged to adopt a more “humane” approach to eviction cases involving tenants with mental health issues, following the deaths of a mother and son, and plans to appoint additional medical experts to an appeal panel. Secretary for Housing Winnie Ho Wing-yin said on Tuesday that the department would “seriously review and carefully explore ways to further improve and optimise its work guidelines and procedures, especially for cases involving tenants with special...

Politics

45 h. ago Hong Kong to review public housing workflow after mother, son suicide case

Hong Kong’s Housing Department has pledged to review its work procedures on public flat tenants with special needs after a mother and son, both reportedly suffering from mental illnesses and facing eviction, committed suicide. Social workers and housing advisers said on Monday that authorities could improve administrative procedures to be more accommodating in such cases, and consider and streamline rehousing arrangements for them. “It is reasonable to take back flats and combat the abuse of...

Events

4 d. ago Another Hong Kong homeowner convicted over illegal structures, fined HK$150,000

Another homeowner in Redhill Peninsula has been found guilty of carrying out unauthorised building works and fined HK$150,000 (US$19,230), marking the 12th conviction after Hong Kong authorities’ crackdown on illegal construction. The owner of a detached home in the private housing estate on Hong Kong Island pleaded guilty at Eastern Court on Friday to knowingly undertaking building works without prior approval and consent from the Buildings Department. “Investigations found that the owner of...

Events

6 d. ago Worker, 26, dies after falling 7 floors at Hong Kong housing construction site

A 26-year-old man has died in a fatal industrial incident in Hong Kong after falling seven storeys at a public housing construction site in the north of the city. Police said on Thursday that they received a report at around 10.30am about an industrial incident on Castle Peak Road near Chau Tau in Lok Ma Chau. The worker was believed to be fastening screws at the site when he fell from a height of about seven storeys onto the podium on the second floor, the force said. He was unconscious and...

Events

6 d. ago Couple arrested in Hong Kong guest house for allegedly making fake banknotes

A middle-aged couple have been arrested in a Hong Kong guest house for allegedly producing counterfeit banknotes. Police said on Wednesday that they had arrested the pair – an American man and a Filipino woman – after a tip-off and an investigation led authorities to a suspected criminal syndicate involved in manufacturing fake Hong Kong banknotes. Officers raided a room in the guest house on Hennessy Road in Wan Chai at about 1pm on Tuesday and apprehended the man, 54, and the woman, 50, who...

Events

7 d. ago All signs point to a recovery firmly taking hold in Hong Kong’s housing market

Hong Kong’s home sales remained above the 5,000 level for the sixth consecutive month in August, further strengthening the view that the city’s residential property market may have bottomed out. A total of 5,291 homes were transacted last month, according to data from the Land Registry on Tuesday, continuing a run above 5,000 that started in March. While the volume fell 8.2 per cent compared with 5,766 in July, it was nearly 45 per cent higher than a year ago. In the first eight months of the...

Economics

2 w. ago The Peak home sold for US$140 million in Hong Kong’s top deal this year

Hong Kong recorded a billion-dollar home sale this week, another sign that ultra-wealthy customers are continuing to find choice assets even amid the city’s property slump. A mansion at 1 Gough Hill Road on The Peak on Hong Kong Island, refurbished from an old guest house used in the 1990s by the Bank of China, sold for HK$1.088 billion (US$139.87 million) on Tuesday, according to the transactions register. The buyer’s identity could not be ascertained. That made it the city’s most expensive...

Economics

2 w. ago Hong Kong extends allowance for transitional housing tenants by 2 years

Hong Kong authorities have extended a special allowance for transitional housing tenants for another two years. Secretary for Housing Winnie Ho Wing-yin said on social media on Wednesday that the two-year pilot scheme launched in 2023 will be renewed, with the amount of the allowance to be increased by around 10 per cent due to the rising cost of living. “Given that most of the transitional housing projects will continue to operate in the coming years to serve new tenants as the old ones move...

Politics

2 w. ago Hong Kong extends relocation allowance for transitional housing tenants by 2 years

Hong Kong authorities have extended a special allowance that helps cover relocation costs faced by transitional housing tenants for another two years. Secretary for Housing Winnie Ho Wing-yin said on Wednesday that the pilot scheme, which was launched in 2023, would be renewed and the amount granted under the allowance would be increased by about 10 per cent due to the rising cost of living. “Given that most of the transitional housing projects will continue to operate in the coming years to...

Politics