Housing Problem in Hong Kong: Sub-divided Flats

15/10/2012

Housing Problem in Hong Kong: Sub-divided Flats
(Karina) Hong Kong is a small place with a huge population. Everywhere is densely populated. The problem of high property price is becoming acute. Most of the middle class can’t even afford to pay the soaring property price and the low-income families have to pay the bulk of their earnings for rent. They can’t make both ends meet, so the underprivileged people rent sub-divided flats to live in order to save money to support their other expenses such as education fee, bills and public transport fare and so on.

The housing problems of sub-divided flats usually involve unauthorised alternation and additions, which can lead to the risk of structural safety. They result in fire hazards and fire escape routes are often blocked. Secondly, those units are over-crowded and people of different national origin, cultural background, races and languages live together easily causes misunderstanding. Thirdly, most of the sub-divided flats are too small and the living conditions are not only uncomfortable but also inconvenient. There is not enough room for kids and students to play and study. It may influence the latter in that they may not be confident to make friends and develop social network with others.

Besides, the issue of unauthorised alternation and additions has plagued Hong Kong for a long time and the problem of illegal structures are known but ignored. It is like a time bomb in society. That is quit unsettling. Furthermore, dire living conditions have long been a fact of life in Hong Kong’s poorest community living in these sub-divided flats which majority of them are in Sham Shui Po, To Kwa Wan and Mongkok.

The problem of sub-divided flats is deteriorating. The new administration has to do something to ease the situation. Therefore, the Chief Executive CY Leung recently revealed 10 measures to cool the housing market such as (i) to sell faster 1,000 flats known as the My Home Purchase Plan and to speed up the release of 65,000 flats in the private market, (ii) to increase the supply of Home Ownership Scheme housing, (iii) and to have a plan of Hong Kong property for Hong Kong people, etc. The government believes that the 10 initiatives will help decrease the pressure of property market in the coming years.

I hope that the government will map out long-term strategies to resolve the social and housing problems to improve citizens’ livelihoods, to clamp down on sub-divided flats, and to take legal action against the illegal structures.