LCQ21: Hostels in the City Scheme
Following is a question by the Hon Albert Chuang and a written reply by the Secretary for Development, Ms Bernadette Linn, in the Legislative Council today (October 28): Question: The Government launched the Hostels in the City Scheme (the Scheme) in 2025 to encourage the market to convert existing commercial buildings into student hostels on a self-financing and privately-run basis to increase the supply of student hostel places. In view of market responses, the facilitation measures under the Scheme were subsequently expanded to cover newly built and redeveloped student hostels. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council: (1) given that according to the latest figures announced in the Chief Executive's 2026 Policy Address, 41 applications have been confirmed to be eligible under the Scheme so far, of the reasons for those processed applications not being confirmed to be eligible; (2) of the number of applications received, broken down by the following three categories: (i) applications for wholesale or partial conversion of existing hotels into student hostels; (ii) waiver applications submitted for existing commercial buildings; and (iii) applications involving
Free plan · Plus CA$29 or Pro CA$99/month
