In order to build 30,000 units of "simple public housing", the government applied to the Legislative Council for a one-off appropriation of 32 billion yuan. After deducting operating and manpower expenses, the average cost of each unit is nearly 900,000 yuan, which is more expensive than traditional public housing and HOS.
Many members of the Legislative Council Housing Affairs Committee asked the government to hand over the details of the construction cost, questioning the high cost.
Chief Executive Li Jiachao "posted his feelings" after 3 days, pointing out that the cold figures did not account for the hardships of subdivided households. He said that considering different factors will result in different construction costs, and simple public housing is "mathematics for getting out of trouble."
A number of councilors who raised doubts accepted the inquiry of "Hong Kong 01". Hong Wen from the election committee retorted that the society needs a rational voice. , "Ping Tonggui" is undoubtedly a cold number, but the duty of the council is to monitor governance. If in the end "public funds are laundered, most units will be demolished if no one has lived in them", it will not be a cold number, but a governance error.
Chen Xuefeng from the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong pointed out that the specific details are indeed to be explained by the Housing Bureau, and it is difficult for the Chief Executive to comment on the details. Relevant comments reflect that the issue has received attention, which is a good thing.
Hong Wen: If you insist on one-off funding, you must vote against it
The cost of "simple public housing" has been calculated differently in recent days. After deducting the one-off appropriation of 32 billion yuan, the design and construction costs of 26.8 billion yuan should be further deducted.
Earlier in the Legislative Council, Ho Wing-hsien pointed out that excluding the cost of outdoor sewage and water removal facilities, the total cost of 30,000 units was reduced to 20 billion yuan, which reduced the unit cost to about 680,000 yuan, which is similar to that of transitional housing.
Hong Wen has stated in recent days that she "would not vote for it." When she was interviewed, she emphasized that if the authorities insist on a one-off grant, they will definitely vote against it.
She pointed out that the housing policy occupies a "moral high ground" in the council, and questioning or opposing it will definitely attract criticism. She also pointed out that the transitional housing occupancy rate is not enough, and the result of simple public housing will be the same: "The final effect will definitely not be good. After 5 years It will be demolished again, transitional housing plus simple public housing will be demolished into 50,000 units, which is not only environmentally friendly but also a waste of public funds.”
The "simple public housing" at the end of Liantang in Sheung Shui is now a construction site, adjacent to the mansion, overlooking the Fanling Golf Course.
(Photo by Liang Pengwei)
Tian Beichen: Money is not a problem, but public funds must be used appropriately
Tian Beichen raised the same question. He pointed out that "money and silver are not a problem, but Li Jiachao didn't say "the public money is properly spent". Does anyone live there? He didn't talk about it at all!" "Tongxin Village" as an example, pointing out that "Tongxin Village" is worse than the four simple public housing sites, but the occupancy rate is still not as good as it should be.
He is now asking the authorities how many residents of "Tongxin Village" are from the public housing waiting list. If the proportion is less than half, it can be predicted that a considerable number of simple public housing units will remain vacant until they are demolished in five years. He will definitely vote against: " Li Jiachao has an assumption that there must be people living in it, so if it is demolished, no one will live in it? This question is not cold at all!"
Hong Wen pointed out that the government regards transitional housing as a pilot program of "simple public housing" and starts to increase the occupancy rate first. It believes that the simple public housing program needs to be optimized.
Jiang Yuhuan asked subdivided households: most of them choose remote locations and have no intention of moving in
Jiang Yuhuan pointed out that after the simple public housing was released, he immediately asked the residents of the subdivided flats about their wishes, and most of them indicated that the location was remote and they had no intention of moving in: "There are grassroots citizens who return to work in Kennedy Town and live in subdivided flats in Sham Shui Po. They just want to return to work more conveniently." They return home at 7 o'clock and wake up at 8 o'clock, even if you (government) take the whole bus for them, it will take them an hour... until everyone wants to come in, first served." She questioned that the government only pursued formalities and ignored the actual needs of the citizens. The plan came to a "half a day", and the officials tried to take a bus from the city center to the simple public housing site: "See how long it will take. After moving into Jinxiu Garden, in a canal Eat in isolation?"
Regarding Li Jiachao's claim that the simple public housing can speed up the waiting list for families to go upstairs for a year, Jiang Yuhuan said, "The supervision of life is so violent that it is better not to do it. 30 billion can do a lot of things!"
Deputy Financial Secretary Wong Wai Lun.
Wong Wai Lun Promises to Explain the Details of a One-off Funding and Hopes to Race Against Time
Deputy Financial Secretary Huang Weilun issued a document in the afternoon, pointing out that the government clearly understands and hears the appeals of members concerned about construction costs, transportation facilities, site selection and surrounding facilities.
The Housing Bureau is working hard to sort out more relevant information, and promises to explain more details in detail at the Public Works Subcommittee. There may be different perspectives and opinions on whether the simple public housing is worth the money, but as the Chief Executive pointed out, behind the cold numbers is the reality of life. Everyday experiences in flesh and blood in difficult circumstances.
His government is running out of time to deal with the housing shortage problem. It proposes a one-off grant in the hope of racing against time, and it does not prioritize the release of residents from unsuitable living environments. Therefore, the engineering team needs to design and start construction at the same time and on various sites as soon as possible. Involved in an endless waiting vortex, emphasizing that as long as the society is united, with the same confidence, and with the same hope, all difficulties will be overcome and the citizens will be given a choice that they did not have before.
The public works group will consider the project in January next year at the earliest
Chen Xuefeng once criticized the lack of details in the appropriation application, but asking councilors to review it is like "buying a cow across the mountain". He accepted inquiries and said that he believes that no one will object to the simple public housing plan. Everyone is concerned about how to build it, how much it will cost, and the location of the site.
The chief executive's comments reflect the government's emphasis on the project, and the relevant expressions are also in line with the chief executive's identity. The technical details must always be left to the Housing Bureau to explain, and Huang Weilun's supplement also reflects the government's concern about the project.
Liang Wenguang of the A4 Alliance pointed out that he questioned the site selection because he considered the plight of subdivided flat households like Li Jiachao, but the government must always explain clearly when deliberating in the Legislative Council. He has always agreed that simple public housing is to provide an additional choice for the grassroots .
The Public Works Subcommittee is expected to consider the project as early as January next year.
Demolition｜The distressed "simple public housing" was besieged. Li Jiachao shared his mental journey to reverse the situation?
Simple public housing︱Members are worried about remote locations and difficult to attract occupants, urging the government to lead the improvement of transportation and supporting economic summit forum｜Li Jiachao refutes the criticism of simple public housing: cold numbers and unplanned households are struggling with simple public housing｜Groups advocate re-planning site selection and reviewing construction costs Is the high appropriation reasonable? Simple public housing｜Deconstructing unit cost from RMB 890,000 to RMB 680,000 ｜Tuen Mun district councilors questioned the disregard of site selection and supporting facilities and original planning in order to achieve KPI