More than 90 per cent of children who live in Hong Kong’s notorious subdivided flats show signs of spinal issues as a result of the cramped conditions, a survey has found, sparking calls from a concern group for families with youngsters to be given priority for public housing. The culprit was that children did not…
Four out of five public housing tenants surveyed in Hong Kong have said prices at wet markets at their estates are higher than elsewhere, with a concern group pointing to a lack of business as the reason. The Alliance for the Monitoring of Welfare and Planning at Public Housing Estates polled 700 residents from 40…
I’m not sure if I am supposed to say this, but I found Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu’s latest policy address interesting. It was comprehensive, covered a lot of ground and was quite detailed in places, especially with regard to economic development. I have one or two quibbles, of course, but overall it was a…
Hong Kong authorities will seek about HK$30 billion (US$3.86 billion) in funding for the first-stage development of a technology hub near the border with mainland China despite an ongoing legal challenge to the project. Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn Hon-ho also revealed on Saturday that the government sought to open bidding next year for the…
The government will take into account Hong Kong’s supply of public housing and other factors before imposing penalties on landlords who lease subdivided flats that do not meet a proposed tougher code, Deputy Financial Secretary Michael Wong Wai-lun has said. A day after delivering his policy address, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu also said the…
Hongkongers under the age of 40 will be given an easier path to buy a subsidised home in the policy address to be unveiled on Wednesday, amid mounting concern about the city’s youth “lying flat” in a bid to get their own living space. Improving residents’ living conditions is expected to be a major focus…
Hong Kong authorities reclaimed about 15,500 public rental flats in the 2023-24 financial year, with close to a fifth resulting from mandatory declarations to tackle misuse of government resources, a senior housing official has revealed. Director of Housing Rosanna Law Shuk-pui said on Sunday that government checks on the income and assets of more than…
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…
About 30 per cent of Hongkongers would decline a pay rise to meet eligibility rules for public housing, a poll has found, while many of those who want to own a flat called for government subsidies as they can only afford a home that costs HK$3 million or less. The Federation of Public Housing Estates…
Hong Kong’s needy have given the current administration a lower score in an annual survey on its performance in the past year because of employment and housing struggles. The annual rating on the government’s overall performance declined for the second consecutive year, falling from 6.8 in 2022 and 6.4 in 2023. SoCO deputy director Sze…