Govt Has All The Land Needed For Light Public Flats

Housing Secretary Winnie Ho said on Monday that the government has already found all the land it needs to build the 30,000 light public flats announced in the chief executive's latest policy address.

On an RTHK programme, Ho said that altogether, eight plots have been identified – in Chai Wan, Kai Tak, Ngau Chi Wan, Tuen Mun, Siu Lam, Yuen Long and Sheung Shui.

She was asked whether rents at the more remote sites will be cheaper than those in the urban areas.

“For light public housing in the New Territories, the cheapest rent may be set at around 780 dollars for the smallest units, and it goes up to 1,800 dollars for a larger flat for a four-to-five people household,” said Ho.

“It’s already cheaper than those in urban areas. People will get to choose. If they want cheaper rent, they may consider looking for flats in the New Territories.”

Ho also said that her colleagues have revised the design of the projects and managed to lower the construction costs by HK$950 million in total.

She dismissed worries that the future residents of light public flats may be reluctant to move out, reiterating that the units are only a short-term measure while additional traditional public flats are under construction.