New scheme to increase supply of student hostels in Hong Kong
Government streamlines procedures to facilitate conversion of commercial buildings.
Hong Kong's Hostels in the City Scheme is now open for applications, with the government seeking to facilitate the conversion of commercial buildings into student hostels to accommodate more post-secondary education tenants from abroad.
According to the Development Bureau and the Education Bureau, development control procedures have been streamlined to encourage the market in taking part, even as conversions will be on a self-financing privately funded basis.
"Operators may make use of the facilitation measures under the scheme to apply for converting commercial buildings into eligible student hostels," the government noted. "In terms of planning procedures, the Town Planning Board has already expanded the definition of 'Hotel' under the planning regime to cover eligible student hostels under the scheme.
"As a result, since 'Hotel' is an 'always permitted use' in most commercial sites, no planning procedures would be required for converting those commercial buildings into student hostels.
"Under the buildings regime, converted student hostels under the scheme will continue to be treated as non-domestic buildings for plot ratio and site coverage calculations, meaning that the existing gross floor area (GFA) of the commercial building can be retained."
It was also highlighted that facilities previously exempted from GFA calculations prior to conversion can be retained and continue to be exempted. These include car parking spaces and loading/unloading areas that can now be flexibly converted into hostel facilities like gyms and study rooms.
The government added: "In terms of land administration, most of the leases stated for non-industrial use allow student hostel use without the need for lease modification or payment of premiums. For the small number of cases where a lease modification is needed, the Lands Department will assess the amount of premium payment."
Open all year round, applications to the programme were opened on 21 July. The scheme only applies to converting existing buildings into student hostels – not constructing new ones – as the goal is to increase the supply of student accommodation as soon as possible. Wholesale conversion is preferable, but partial conversion can also be conditionally allowed.
"To ensure the quality and livability of hostels, partially converted student hostels must fulfill relevant conditions, including that there should not be excessively multiple uses co-existing in the building; that the student hostel portion should not be scattered across different parts of the building and no half-storey conversion; and that effective access control must be in place at the student hostel portion," reads part of the scheme arrangements.
The hostels should be available to full-time local or non-local students of specified eligible institutions operating locally accredited post-secondary programmes at the sub-degree or degree levels. Meanwhile, industrial buildings and buildings in industrial zonings are not eligible, as the neighbourhoods of such properties are less likely to be as habitable as that of commercial buildings.
A government spokesperson noted: "Our policy objective is to create a clear and easy-to-follow operational framework that is in compliance and cost-efficient, while putting in sufficient measures to ensure that hostels under the scheme fulfil the government's requirements."
The new scheme comes as Hong Kong continues to be an attractive destination particularly for foreign tertiary students.
