The Hong Kong government has proposed allocating up to 180 “reserve units” of transitional housing to tenants evicted due to the “shoebox” flat reform.

Victor Tai, undersecretary for housing, said on Monday that the reserve units would only be provided under “very exceptional circumstances,” such as tenants evicted by landlords of subdivided flats and those in urgent need of housing.

The reserve units will only come from transitional housing projects in urban or “extended urban” areas, such as Tung Chung, Sha Tin and Tseung Kwan O, according to a policy briefing submitted by the Housing Bureau to the Legislative Council’s (LegCo) panel on housing.

Speaking at the panel, Tai said the units would only be reserved for three months. If the units were not allocated to anyone, they would become available again for other transitional housing applicants.

“Our aim is to have some reserve units in urban and extended urban areas ready for providing immediate support,” Tai said in Cantonese.

Elaine Chik, a lawmaker from the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB), raised concern that the 180 reserve units may fail to meet demand.

In response, Tai said many current tenants of subdivided units were themselves applicants for public or transitional housing, and that the amount of reserve units should be enough for those in urgent need of temporary shelter.

According to the briefing paper, those who wish to move into the reserve units must undergo a review by one of the six government-appointed District Service Teams “to verify their imminent housing needs.”

Another Housing Bureau team will review the applications before allocating the units for a three-month tenancy.

The policy is expected to come into force next month.

Hong Kong passed the Basic Housing Units Ordinance in September, mandating landlords of subdivided units to meet government-set living standards. These include a floor space of at least 86 square feet, a ceiling height of 2.3 metres, as well as windows and an individual toilet.

The law, which came into effect in March, also requires landlords to register their units if they want to continue leasing them legally.

Authorities estimate that more than 220,000 people in the city live in “shoebox” flats, around one-third of which need major renovation.

According to the Housing Bureau, as of April 2026, there were 19,100 transitional housing units operated by NGOs and subsidised by the government.