01 Investigation
Written by: He Jinkang, Zhou Weiqiang
2021-06-15 07:00
Last update date: 2021-06-15 07:00
Mei Foo’s "Jiuhua Keng New Village" is only a 10-minute walk from the MTR station. The squatters in the village were demolished last year, but there are still more than 100 licensed houses that have been "temporarily permitted to exist" in the village.
Residents of licensed housing estates revealed that although the government imposed strict restrictions on housing estates, such as not being expanded or rented out, they only need to pay more than 70 yuan in license fees to the government each year. The villagers frankly admitted that it was "good luck."
"Hong Kong 01" also found that some licensed houses were suspected of violating license restrictions and involved expansion of unauthorized construction or renting. However, the Lands Department did not respond to an investigation and only stated that it had issued 130 licenses in Jiuhuajing New Village, with an annual rent per square meter. The meter is 3 centimeters, which means that the largest 3,000-square-foot licensed house in the village has an annual rent of only HK$83.
Some scholars believe that under the tight supply of land, the government may consider repossession of land to build public housing, but emphasizes that villagers must be compensated and resettled first.
130 licensed houses occupying 500,000 square feet of government land can be converted into 4000 public housing units
According to the government map, the official land area of the Mei Foo Kau Wah Keng New Village is more than 500,000 square feet.
Assuming a calculation of 4 times the medium plot ratio, 4000 public housing estates with an area of 500 square feet can be built to accommodate more than 10,000 people, which is about 30 times more than the current only about 130 licensed housing estates.
According to Hong Kong’s land policy, there are two types of houses that have been "temporarily permitted to exist" by the government. The first are "squatters" that were illegally built before 1982 and are located on private or government land and are registered and tolerated by the government; the second are "licenses." "House", the house is actually licensed by the government, but the head of the household must pay the government a license fee every quarter, and the title can only be transferred to the immediate family.
Licensed houses cannot be sold, rented or expanded at will.
If the squatter registration record in 1982 is inconsistent, the licensed house will lose the registration qualification; the licensed house in the urban area shall not be rebuilt, and any repairs must first obtain the approval of the relevant squatter control office, as well as the location, size, and building materials of the repaired house. And the purpose must be the same as the record.
Tao Hui lives in a licensed house involved in illegal construction, expansion, and dominance of official land
Licensed houses also have size restrictions.
For example, Assistant Commissioner of Police Rupert Dover (Rupert Dover) in Clear Water Bay Bishui New Village’s licensed house was found to have illegally constructed, expanded and occupied official land. The Lands Department disclosed in May last year that the house’s license stipulates that the land can be used Construct a two-story building no higher than 5.18 meters, and each floor of the building has an area of no more than 400 square feet.
Kau Wah Keng New Village is adjacent to Lai Yan Court and only 10 minutes away from Mei Foo MTR Station.
(Photo by He Jinkang)
Villagers in Jiuhuajing pay 70 yuan a year: "Good to withstand"
Residents of a licensed house in Jiuhuajing New Village stated that the license for their residence was left by their father. They have lived in the house for decades. They still pay more than 70 yuan for each license each year to continue living.
She said frankly that it is really "good" to live in downtown Kowloon at such a cheap rent.
Villagers who work in Jiuhuajing New Village said that the annual fee for her licensed house is only more than 70 yuan.
(Photo by Hong Kong 01 reporter)
Suspected illegal construction, glass house, and roof
However, there are many licensed houses in the village that cover an area far more than 400 feet, and they also have supporting facilities such as back gardens.
The reporter found that one of the licensed houses was located on a hillside near the village office, only 5 minutes away from the entrance of the village, with an area of nearly 2,000 square feet.
The appearance of the house is new, the exterior wall is red, and there are suspected unauthorized structures behind the house.
In addition, there is a nearly 1,000-foot garden outside the house, paved with stone floors, pots, benches, etc. The whole is like a "western house".
However, looking at the satellite images in 2012, the house obviously occupies less land than it is now, and the color of its roof is also different, which proves that the house has been renovated and repaired.
The area of the other two licensed houses located nearby is also significantly larger than 400 feet.
There are suspected illegal structures outside the front entrance of one house, occupying one-third the size of the licensed house; in the other house, suspected illegal structures are set up at 3 locations next to the house and surrounded by walls.
The reporter also found that on the rental website, someone was suspected of illegally renting out a licensed house in Jiuhuajing New Village, with a saleable area of 250 square feet and a monthly rent of RMB 5,500.
License fee per square meter 3 cents per year
"Hong Kong 01" once asked the Lands Department whether there were any licensed houses in the Jiuhuajing New Village that violated the licensing requirements.
The Lands Department stated that there are about 130 government land licenses in the Jiuhuajing New Village area, but refused to disclose the restrictions of each license, saying only that the area and purpose of each license are different, and the housing area ranges from about 32 square feet to about 32 square feet. It ranges from 3,000 square feet.
As for whether the housing estates violated the restrictions, whether there were unauthorized construction, etc., even if the reporter repeatedly asked, the department did not respond positively, only confessing that it had not received any complaints of violations of the license terms.
The licensed houses in the village collect rents in accordance with the Land (Miscellaneous Provisions) Ordinance, which is 3 cents per square meter per year.
If the agency revealed that the largest licensed house in the village had an area of 3,000 square feet, the annual rent for the house was only 83 Hong Kong dollars and the monthly rent was only about 7 yuan.
According to the Lands Department, 130 land licenses, that is, lots in yellow frames, have been issued in the area of Kau Wah Lane.
(Lands Department document)
HKU Chow Kwong Wing: License can be recovered to build public housing
It has been decades since the establishment of the Licensed Housing Policy. Does the policy conform to the current housing land plan?
Professor Chow Kwong Wing of the Department of Real Estate and Construction of the University of Hong Kong believes that since the licensed houses are located on official land, the government "absolutely has the power" to recover the licensed houses for other land development, especially the tight land supply in Hong Kong. I shouldn't let it go."
Professor Chow Kwong-wing of the University of Hong Kong pointed out that the government should consider taking back licensed housing to build public housing.
(Information Picture/Photographed by Chen Jiayuan)
Zou Guangrong also pointed out that Jiuhua Trail is located in the urban area, and there are public housing estates such as Lai Xin Court and Hua Lai Village nearby. It is geographically suitable for the construction of public housing, but in fact it depends on whether the public facilities and supporting facilities can match the development.
However, Zou Guangrong added that in the past, the government seldom took back the licensed housing estates, reminding the relevant departments to be cautious in resettling villagers and to provide reasonable compensation to the affected villagers. A win-win situation."
Lai Xin Court next to Jiu Huajing New Village is exactly the home ownership of the Housing Authority, and there is also a public housing estate near Hua Lai Village.
(Photo by He Jinkang)
Many land disputes in the past have demolished squatter households to protest
Looking through the information, Jiuhuajing New Village also had a lot of land disputes in the past.
In September last year, about 20 to 30 squatters were accused of illegally occupying the land on a piece of private land belonging to the "Far East Hotel Industry" in Xincun.
Since the resumption of the land, it has been emptied, and there is no one to live or develop. It is surrounded by iron nets and is not allowed to enter.
Proprietor of suspected land occupation to operate barbecue site convicted and imprisoned
In addition, the "Yijiyaki" barbecue site in the new village has been accused of illegal land occupation, violation of land use terms, and illegal business operations, but the site has been peaceful for many years.
The owner of the barbecue site "Laiyuan Pleasure Garden Co., Ltd." first filed a lawsuit with the High Court in July last year, demanding that the "Yijiyaki" return the land. The owner of the "Yijiyaki" was subsequently prosecuted and finally ruled in May this year He was convicted of operating an unlicensed restaurant and violating the gathering restriction order and was imprisoned for four weeks.
Another person at the Kau Wah Lane unlicensed barbecue site in Mei Foo was predator and the Environmental Protection Department has prosecuted 23 times in the district this year
Jiuhuajing New Village was again visited by developers
The squatters in Jiuhuajing Village face forced relocation. District councillors urge all departments to account for the resettlement of residents
3 squatters in Kau Wah Keng New Village, Mei Foo were requested to move out
The squatters in Jiuhuajing Village were suspected of being harassed and forced to move to the villagers’ mother-in-law’s residence and the floor was demolished
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