The Housing Authority said on Thursday that some 8,300 subsidised flats under the Home Ownership Scheme (HOS) will be made available for applications in the second quarter of next year.

The units will be up for grabs at the same time as a similar amount of flats under two other schemes.

The five HOS estates are located in Kai Tak, Tseung Kwan O, Tung Chung, Ping Shan and Kam Tin. They will range from a little under 300 to 560 square feet in size and will cost between HK$1.5 million and HK$4.8 million.

The Housing Authority will allow public housing tenants and non-homeowners who pass asset-limit tests, known as green form and white form applicants, to have an equal opportunity to win a draw for the flats.

This is a new measure introduced by Chief Executive John Lee in his Policy Address this year.

Concurrently, some 1,400 flats in Kowloon Bay will be made available through a programme for public housing tenants, the Green Form Subsidised Home Ownership Scheme. Prices will range from a little under HK$1.7 million to HK$3.5 million.

White form applicants will also be drawing lots for some 7,000 units in the second hand market, with 5,000 flats under the general quota and the rest designated for applicants younger than 40.