At the beginning of 2022, high inflation was the top priority for the U.S. economy. By the second quarter of 2025, although inflation had significantly decreased, it remained slightly above the Federal Reserve's long-term target of 2%. The Federal Open Market Committee has been implementing various measures aimed at bringing inflation back down to the 2% long-term target. However, recent policy changes by the U.S. government have added uncertainty to the economic outlook and the formulation of monetary policy. This article provides a brief analysis of the U.S. economic conditions and the direction of monetary policy in the second quarter of 2025.
In a recent interview with Wen Wei Po, Prof. Michael B. Wong, Assistant Professor in Economics, Management and Strategy at HKU Business School, suggested that improving the quality of Home Ownership Scheme (HOS) flats could provide a key incentive for property ownership. He argued that the convergence in quality between public rental housing (PRH) and HOS flats is a major policy design flaw. As PRH is intended to provide basic shelter for low-income groups, HOS flats should be of superior quality to attract tenants to move up the housing ladder.