Hong Kong would have needed “at least a few more years” to wipe out its notorious subdivided flats if authorities had set standards requiring landlords to offer bigger homes for rent, the city’s housing chief has said. The government has proposed eight square metres (86 sq ft) as the minimum size, a target that has…
Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu unveiled new policies targeting Hong Kong’s notorious subdivided flats this week, aiming to improve the livelihoods of about 110,000 households living in the cramped homes. But critics have hit out at the government, saying the policy legitimises the problem by effectively allowing 70 per cent of the homes to stay,…
Subdivided flats and cage homes are Hong Kong’s shame. With our financial discipline, land sale premiums, tax revenue and sound investments, the government has built up substantial fiscal reserves over the years and invested in expensive infrastructure. Given all that spending, though, we have somehow failed to eliminate some 110,000 subdivided units to help our…