Hong Kong's 'City Student Hostel Scheme' draws 45 qualified applications, 700 beds operational
Hong Kong's 'City Student Hostel Scheme' has received 52 applications, with 45 qualified, providing 700 student beds in four completed projects. The government plans to sell a site in Sha Tin in the third quarter of the 2026-27 financial year for about 600 more beds, but will not link supply to non-
Hong Kong's 'City Student Hostel Scheme', launched in July 2025 by the Development Bureau and the Education Bureau, aims to boost student housing supply by encouraging private conversion or redevelopment of commercial buildings. As of 28 October 2026, 52 applications have been received, with 45 confirmed eligible, covering about 11,450 beds, mostly in urban districts such as Yau Tsim Mong, Kwun Tong, Sham Shui Po, Wan Chai and Central and Western districts.
Of the 45 qualified applications, two involve converting existing hotels wholly or partly into student hostels, five have applied for waivers or land modification with premium payments to the Lands Department, and seven more need to submit such applications. One application was rejected because the hostel design failed to meet safety and habitability requirements, while six are still under processing.
As of 28 October 2026, four projects under the scheme have been completed and are operational for the 2026/27 academic year, providing about 700 student beds. Another five cases, involving about 740 beds, have obtained all development control approvals and are under renovation, expected to complete within about a year.
The government has not set specific bed targets or linked annual supply to the increase in non-local student quotas, which have been relaxed to 50 per cent of local enrolment for publicly-funded institutions. It considers the decision to convert or redevelop commercial buildings into student hostels a commercial one.
The Development Bureau plans to sell a site in Sha Tin's Siu Lik Yuen in the third quarter of the 2026-27 financial year for student hostel development, initially estimated to provide about 600 beds. The government will assess the sale before deciding whether and when to sell sites in Kai Tak and Tung Chung East.
