'Ban On Nano Flats Would Make Homes Unaffordable'

The Housing Secretary Frank Chan said on Wednesday that he fears many people in Hong Kong would not be able to afford to buy a home if the government set a minimum size for apartments to stop the increasing trend of "nano flats".

According to the government, almost 700 units completed last year were "nano flats", which had an area of less than around 200 square feet. Three years ago there were just 79 such units.

At a Legco housing panel meeting, lawmakers asked Chan if the government could set a minimum size requirement for new flats.

The secretary said the government recognises there should be minimum living standards when it comes to the quality of accommodation in the city.

But he explained that limiting nano flats would pose problems, given the city's exorbitant property prices.

"Prices have gone beyond the affordability of ordinary members of the public and so we have seen a surge in the number of small and medium-sized flats," Chan said.

"We understand that there should be standards for adequate accommodation. But if that has to be specified in the law, the question is whether prospective homeowners can afford bigger flats."