Nano disk emerges Zhong Jianhua expects the government to change housing standards and worry about the polarization of private buildings

Social News

Written by: Zhang Jiamin

2020-08-02 00:01

The housing problem in Hong Kong is severe, and many people need to live in unsuitable housing. In the past, some organizations suggested that the government set official housing standards to improve the housing environment of the grassroots. The Hong Kong Concerned Subdivided Housing Platform held a housing standard forum today (1st), inviting experts from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan to share.

Zhong Jianhua, deputy chief executive of the Hong Kong Institute of Public Opinion, said that the Hong Kong government is in a dilemma in the face of substandard housing production. If a minimum housing standard is set, it will make it more difficult for housing production to meet the standard. I believe the government will not set a minimum housing standard in the short term. He worries that developers will be polarized in the future and only build large units and nanodisks. Peng Yangkai, secretary-general of Taiwan’s OURS Urban Reform Organization, said that less than 10% of Taiwan’s citizens currently live in "social housing," which is similar to public housing units in Hong Kong. The local housing laws are also out of date.

Some developers have introduced very small units with an area of ​​only 129 square feet. (Photo by Ou Jiale)

The Hong Kong Concerned Subdivided Housing Platform held a housing standard forum on the Internet, and invited Taiwan’s OURS Urban Reform Organization Secretary-General Peng Yangkai, New Macau Academy Vice President Chen Leqi, and Hong Kong Institute of Public Opinion Research Vice President Zhong Jianhua to write about housing issues in the three places share it.

Less than one adult living in public housing in Taiwan

Peng Yangkai said that there are only less than one adult living in social housing in Taiwan, which is similar to public housing in Hong Kong. However, the housing market is imbalanced and it is difficult for citizens to afford property prices. The rental housing market is more like a "black market". The government has not registered for the rental housing market and is difficult to monitor . He said that the local government has set a target for the construction of social housing in recent years, providing 200,000 social housing in eight years, but the housing law enacted in 2011 is out of date and has not supervised the current situation of social housing; in addition, there are local rents. Subsidies, but the amount is not enough to improve the basic housing environment.

Zhong Jianhua expects that the government will not set minimum housing standards in the short term. (Profile picture)

Zhong Jianhua: Hong Kong people's housing standards have regressed

Zhong Jianhua, deputy chief executive of the Hong Kong Institute of Public Opinion, said that Hong Kong's housing standards have not improved in recent years, but have also regressed. Not only has the amount of subdivided housing not fallen but increased, and property prices and rents are high. There are no large-scale community facilities in the district. In the private sector, nano disks have emerged, believing that the government is facing a dilemma. For example, setting a minimum housing standard will make it more difficult for the number of housing production to meet the standard. Therefore, it would rather "deliver the number" and explain it in terms of market regulation. No minimum housing standards will be set.

He also pointed out that in recent years, the government has imposed a clause on several private estates, requiring developers to not exceed a certain number of units in order to ensure that the unit size is not too small. He said that the effectiveness remains to be seen, but he is worried that the developers are in compliance with the terms. The requirement is to build only large units and nano-disks, which makes the units more "polarized" in disguise.

Deng Baoshan, the convener of the Hong Kong Concerned Sub-Housing Platform, pointed out that the United Nations has established standards for adequate housing rights, including housing rights protection, housing equipment and foundations. The standards are also applicable to Hong Kong, but the Hong Kong government has not implemented them.

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