The Development Bureau (DEVB) today (January 20) invites the market to submit expressions of interest (EOI) within two months for post-secondary student hostel development at three commercial sites in Kai Tak, Siu Lek Yuen (Shatin), and Tung Chung East.
           
     In July 2025, the DEVB and the Education Bureau (EDB) jointly launched the Hostels in the City Scheme. By relaxing some development controls, it has facilitated private developers/operators in converting commercial buildings into student hostels to meet the needs of post-secondary students. Subsequently, it was announced in the 2025 Policy Address that the Scheme would be expanded to also cover new hostel developments.
      
     The Scheme has been met with an encouraging response, with 24 applications received involving around 5 000 beds in total, most of which were in urban areas. Apart from two applications that concern new student hostel development on private land, all applications were for the conversion of existing buildings, the majority of which involved wholesale conversion. Out of the 24 applications received, 22 have been confirmed to have complied with the eligibility criteria (Note) as laid down under the Scheme, with the remaining two under processing. Proponents of these 22 cases are starting to apply for development approvals under relaxed development controls, while the relevant government departments are processing at full steam the planning applications (Note: 18 out of 22 cases do not require a planning application) and the building plans received.
      
     A DEVB spokesman said, "The 2025 Policy Address has recommended that suitable sites for student hostel development be put up through land sale, besides facilitating the market in converting existing commercial buildings and building hostels on existing private land. This would be the first time for us to use land disposal in the open market to encourage the development of student hostels."
      
     All three sites included in this EOI exercise are located in urban or extended urban areas with better traffic accessibility and more mature community and commercial facilities in the vicinity. These sites are zoned "Commercial" on the respective Outline Zoning Plans, meaning developing student hostels according to the Scheme would not require further planning applications. The relevant land has already been formed with basic infrastructure. 
      
     The spokesman said, "The three sites are all readily developable land where zoning and development parameters are suitable for student hostel developments. Those who are awarded the sites through tender could promptly develop these sites into student hostels and help respond to the demand for post-secondary hostel accommodation. Subject to the response received from this EOI exercise, the Government can make available one or more of the three sites supporting student hostel development for land sale through open tender in 2026-27 at the earliest.
      
     In order to properly serve the policy objective of promoting the development of an education hub through increasing the supply of quality hostel places, the DEVB is initially planning to restrict under the lease the use of the sites to student hostels only and impose a restriction against alienation of individual rooms, meaning alienation is only allowed for the entire development as a whole, so as to ensure the hostel facilities on each of the sites are cohesively owned and operated. The Building Covenant period is now proposed to be 48 months. Respondents to the EOI exercise are invited to indicate their interest in bidding for one or more of the sites, share their preliminary plans for the hostel operation, and provide views on the land disposal arrangements including the above proposed alienation restriction and the Building Covenant period. The Government's preliminary estimate is that around 4 500 beds can be provided in total on the three sites, but the actual bed numbers will depend on the design of the project proponents. Development parameters of the three sites are summarised in Annex A to the invitation document of this EOI exercise. Some salient features of the sites are highlighted as follows:
      
Site in Kai Tak
      
     The site in Kai Tak is located at the former South Apron area of the Kai Tak Development Area, near the Kai Tak Sports Park and adjacent to the New Acute Hospital that is expected to commence operation this year. Nearby MTR stations include Kai Tak Station and Kowloon Bay Station. Its site area is around 0.74 hectares (ha) and is subject to a maximum plot ratio (PR) of 5.8, a building height restriction (BHR) of 80mPD, a maximum site coverage of 65 per cent, and a maximum gross floor area (GFA) of around 43 000 square metres (sq m).
      
Site in Siu Lek Yuen, Shatin
      
     The immediate area of the site in Siu Lek Yuen is intermixed with commercial, residential, and other uses and is in proximity to the MTR City One Station and Shek Mun Station. Of around 0.11 ha, the site is subject to a maximum PR of 9.5, a BHR of 120mPD, and a maximum GFA of around 10 000 sq m.   
      
Site in Tung Chung East
      
     The site in Tung Chung New Town Extension is located close to the MTR Tung Chung East Station that is expected to commence operation in 2029. Its site area is around 0.25 ha and is subject to a maximum PR of 9, a BHR of 160mPD, and a maximum GFA of around 23 000 sq m.
      
     The invitation documents for EOI have been uploaded onto the DEVB's website (www.devb.gov.hk/en/issues_in_focus/planning-lands/invitation-for-expression-of-interest-for-student/index.html). Interested parties should submit a soft copy of their EOI by midnight on March 20 (Friday). 

Note: The eligibility criteria include that hostel tenants should be full-time local or non-local students enrolled in locally accredited sub-degree or degree programmes operated by specified institutions; new hostel construction and conversion works must be completed within 54 and 18 months respectively; and industrial zonings and industrial buildings are not eligible under the Scheme.

Ends/Tuesday, January 20, 2026
Issued at HKT 15:15

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