The redevelopment of old housing estates has always been regarded as an important channel to increase housing supply. The Pakatan Harapan Legislative Council Member Leung Mei-fun raised a question at the Legislative Council today (25th), requesting the government to formulate a strategy for redevelopment of the old village, and the community of the old village can be demolished first Facilities, such as shopping malls and stadiums, are then built on the site, and then the residents are transferred to complete the redevelopment. It is believed that the plan can be implemented quickly, and after the redevelopment, more units can be added to allow people on the waiting list to go upstairs as soon as possible, achieving a win-win situation.
The Secretary for Transport and Housing, Chen Fan, responded that there are difficulties in the proposal. For example, emergency traffic lanes must be reserved for additional buildings on the stadium, and the reconstruction must avoid building too close to each other. There are many restrictions.
In the past, the supply of flats in some housing estates was reduced after redevelopment, which was not cost-effective and would prolong the waiting time for public housing. It is reiterated that people on the waiting list for public housing are more pressing than existing public housing tenants.
Both Pakatan Rakyat Shi Liqian and Lin Jianfeng said that reconstruction also involves improving the living environment and well-being of the villagers. They urge the authorities to put forward different plans to increase housing supply as soon as possible. They should no longer call on the public to tolerate the harsh living environment.
Wah Fu Village is an old housing estate. In addition to the aging population, there are also redevelopment-related issues to be dealt with in the area.
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Liang Meifen bombarded the government for being too bureaucratic to rebuild the old village in stages to achieve a win-win situation
Leung Mei-fun pointed out that in order to make full use of the land, the government should rebuild some old housing estates, especially the rebuilt buildings of many very dilapidated public housing estates, which can be increased from 6 to 7 floors to more than 30 floors to increase housing supply.
She pointed out that when the government formulates a redevelopment project, it can choose to demolish community facilities in the village in stages, such as shopping malls and stadiums, to build houses.
Liang described that the plan can be implemented quickly and completed within two to three years without affecting the public housing waiting list. The additional units after the redevelopment will allow the waiting list citizens to go upstairs as soon as possible, achieving a win-win situation.
She criticized the government's insistence on building transitional housing to solve the short-term housing problem, because these residents still have to wait for "upstairs", the long waiting time and the problem of not being able to settle down still exist.
Chen Fan pointed out that the supply of flats after the redevelopment of housing estates has decreased, which is not cost-effective, and the plan will extend the waiting time for public housing.
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Chen Fan: In the long run, we still need to "find land" as the goal to solve the housing problem
The Secretary of Transport and Housing, Chen Fan, responded that Leung Mei-fun’s proposal has difficulties. For example, emergency traffic lanes must be reserved for additional buildings at the stadium, and the building plans to be rebuilt to avoid too close distances between buildings. There are many restrictions.
In the past, the supply of flats in housing estates was reduced after redevelopment, which was not cost-effective, and the plan would extend the waiting time for public housing.
Chen Fan pointed out that people on the waiting list for public housing have more pressing needs than existing public housing tenants. He emphasized that the authorities have been looking for land to build houses. In the future, there will be at least 330 hectares of land used for housing construction, in an effort to solve the urgent housing problem.
Members continue to criticize the government's inefficient solution to the housing problem
After the criticism from Pakatan Harapan Real Estate and Construction Councillor Shi Liqian, the authorities ignored the living environment problems of the residents of the old villages, describing that concrete flaking and dilapidated facilities are problems that need to be solved. They emphasized that everyone’s housing needs are equal. I hope Chen Fan We should not just ask the citizens to be inclusive, and fail to formulate relevant timetables to plan future housing estate redevelopment projects.
He described that citizens living in poorly-environmental units are frightened every day, and the government should not neglect its attitude.
Lin Jianfeng, who is also a member of the Pakatan Harapan Association, pointed out that the public has been expecting the government to rebuild public housing estates for many years. The authorities should no longer just follow the established procedures and ignore the happiness of the public.
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