Public housing system set for major reforms to improve accessibility

Macau’s public housing system may soon undergo significant changes aimed at improving accessibility and fairness.

Several key areas are being reviewed, including the criteria for grading and ranking applicants, adjustments to the pricing of public housing flats, and the introduction of a new flat replacement system.

The government is expected to announce details of the flat replacement system soon, which could allow residents to exchange smaller flats for larger ones.

Leung Sin Man, a member of the Public Housing Committee, discussed the potential benefits of the system, suggesting it could help young people plan for their future housing needs. She noted that if implemented, it could free up approximately 20% of one-bedroom flats.

Leung also recommended optimizing the scoring system to provide more targeted assistance to individual applicants, emphasizing that the system should consider the secondary circulation of T1 units and how to best assist applicants genuinely in need of one-bedroom flats.

However, she acknowledged that implementing the system might be complex.

“In terms of the system, we have also considered the secondary transfer of T1 flats. In fact, how to target the points system to help applicants genuinely applying for one-room flats is key. If the application of old net housing is applicable to the small-for-large self-exchange conditions, the overall implementation and operability may be more complex,” said Leung, as cited in a TDM report.

Meanwhile, lawmaker Ella Lei suggested a long-term review of the net flat system, advocating for the relaxation of restrictions on the types of flats that can be applied for. She believed this could reduce the future demand for the self-exchange system.

The lawmaker also recommended creating data-driven planning for the distribution of flats, considering factors such as family size and unit demand. Lynzy Valles