The following is issued on behalf of the Housing Authority:

A total of 53,081 applications has been received for the 4,659 flats recently offered for sale under the Home Ownership Scheme (HOS) Phase 17B and the 200 units under the Housing Society's Flat for Sale Scheme (FFSS), representing an over-subscription rate of more than 11 times. 

"Compared with the 10 times over-subscription in Phase 17A, this increase indicates that HOS flats have continued to be very popular among home-buyers", Dr Rebecca Chiu Lai- har, a member of the Authority's Home Ownership Committee, said today (Thursday). 

"Among the applications, 36,338 are from White Form applicants who are living in the private sector.

"At a discount of 45 per cent and with a lower mortgage interest rate of 9.5 per cent per annum, representing an overall affordability of 60 per cent for White Form applicants whose income limit is set at $25 000 per month, HOS flats have remain affordable to most home-seekers from the private sector", she said.
The quota allocation between Green Form and White Form applicants remains 67 : 33. Under this quota system, the success rate for Green Form applicants in the ballot will be 1: 5 and White Form applicants 1 : 27. A special quota of 500 flats in the Second Priority Green Form Category will continue to be given to public housing tenants paying additional rent for three years or more under the housing subsidy policy, with a total of 1,528 such applications received in the current sales exercise.

Among the six projects of the HOS/PSPS flats offered for sale under this phase, Harmony Garden, Phase I in Chai Wan is most popular among applicants. 
"A total of 11,749 applications is for this project, representing 22.1 per cent of the total received", Dr Chiu said. 

"The next most popular project is Kam Fung Court, Phase II in Ma On Shan, for which 10,597 applicants, or 20 per cent of all, have made this choice. "Next is Tsz Oi court, Phase II in Tsz Wan Shan, with 9,973 applications or 18.8 per cent of the total received.

"Tsz On Court, Phase II in Tsz Wan Shan and Hiu Lai Court, Phase III in Sau Mau Ping received about the same number of applications, 6,794 and 6,359, respectively, while 750 people have made Hin Ming Court in Tseung Kwan O their first choice", said Dr Chiu. 

The average selling price for the six projects ranges from $18,700 per square metre saleable area (or $1,310 per square foot gross floor area) for Hin Ming court in Tseung Kwan O to $24,800 per square metre saleable area (or $1,975 per square foot gross floor area) for Harmony Garden in Chai Wan. Flat prices range between $293,800 for a 20.1 square metre flat in Hin Ming Court and $1,551,000 for a 59.9 square metre flat at Tsz Oi Court. 

Also present at the ballot today were the Assistant Director of Housing (Applications and Home Ownership), Mr Hui Chee-chung; the Chief Estate Surveyor (Home Ownership Scheme), Mr Ho Chin-chiu; and Mr Chiu Ping-fun, Acting Chief Housing Manager (Applications). 

The ballot was witnessed by a representative from the Independent Commission Against Corruption.

The numbers drawn for First and Second Priority Green Form applicants, including those from public housing estates who have been paying additional rents for three years or more, are 7, 6, 4, 9, 5, 0, 8, 2, 3 and 1. 

For successful Ordinary Green Form applicants, the numbers drawn are 10, 43, 69, 24, 32, 80, 56, 21, 41, 77, 88, 81, 17, 87 and 78.

The numbers on the reserve list for Green Form applicants are 57, 11, 07, 38, 23, 82, 75, 29, 25, 16, 67, 06, 61, 34, 95, 63, 55, 66, 31, 85, 62, 53, 44, 37, 76, 79, 54, 84, 47, 39, 91, 92, 19, 49, 14, 00, 86, 18, 22, 28, 46, 83, 30,45, 70, 26, 94, 58, 99, 15, 48, 73, 64, 05, 01, 68, 51, 90, 71, 96, 02, 03, 08,89, 36, 59, 13, 40, 42, 74, 65, 93, 98, 33, 60, 52, 50, 09, 97, 27, 04, 35, 12, 72 and 20. 

The numbers for the successful White Form applicants are 10, 43, 69, 24 and 32. 

The numbers on the reserve list for White Form applicants are 80, 56, 21, 41, 77, 88, 81, 17, 87, 78, 57, 11, 07, 38, 23, 82, 75, 29, 25, 16, 67, 06, 61, 34, 95, 63, 55, 66, 31, 85, 62, 53, 44, 37, 76, 79, 54, 84, 47, 39, 91, 92, 19, 49, 14, 00, 86, 18, 22, 28, 46, 83, 30, 45, 70, 26, 94, 58, 99, 15, 48, 73, 64, 05, 01, 68, 51, 90, 71, 96, 02, 03, 08, 89, 36, 59, 13, 40, 42, 74, 65, 93, 98, 33, 60, 52, 50, 09, 97, 27, 04, 35, 12, 72 and 20. Priority lists of Green Form and White Form application numbers, which will be produced by computer later today, will be posted at the Home Ownership Centre in Lok Fu Shopping Centre, all Housing Authority and Housing Society estate offices, and district Offices tomorrow (Friday). 

Flat selection will start on January 8, 1996. 

Note to editors : A photograph taken at the ballot will be boxed at GIS later today (Thursday). End
Thursday, December 14, 1995