(The Standard P.6 4
Sep 2013 licensing scheme
should be created to make subdivided flats safer and more hygienic, the
Long-Term Housing Strategy Steering Committee has proposed.
Anthony Cheung, who chairs the committee,
said safety standards and living conditions rather than rent are the top
concerns.
"The committee is well aware of
potential diverse (不同的) views but a licensing or landlord (房東) registration system will
only affect illegal subdivided units such as those in industrial
buildings."
He admitted the regulation may push up rents
as landlords will have to improve safety standards and hygiene if they
register.
The committee said time and resources (資源) are the
concerns for implementing the scheme. Legislation (立法) is also expected.
A survey may be
required to establish (確定 ) the number of subdivided flats and prevent them from
increasing further.
Rehousing
arrangements may also become necessary if tenants (住戶) of such flats move out as a
result of the scheme. The committee estimated that 74,900 families live in
66,900 subdivided flats.
The government could
explore (探索 ) the feasibility(可行性) of providing transitional (過渡期的) housing on temporary vacant
sites in urban areas, it added.
Chief Secretary for
Administration Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said the Community Care Fund
providing subsidies to subdivided flat tenants in industrial buildings
contradicts (否定) the law on illegal subdivided flats.
"The Community
Care Fund aims to provide aid to those in need. The Community Care Fund and the
Commission on Poverty decided to provide subsidies after considering the fund's
purpose," she said.
Lam said one-off
subsidies should not have a significant (有效的) effect on rents. She added the
government does not tolerate any residential units in industrial buildings.
Kelly
Ip
Hong Kong is a small place with a large population. The property price is raising even though the middle class cannot afford the unreasonable price to buy a decent unit. So that there are many subdivided flats existed. However, some of them are unsafe and unhygienic for living, especially those illegal subdivided units in industrial buildings. The underprivileged such as the “N nothing group” and the grassroots have lived in those flats because the rent is inexpensive. Yet the poor living condition can result in disaster if fire breaks out. It is a time bomb.
回覆刪除The Long Term Housing Strategy Steering Committee has proposed the licensing scheme of landlord registration system to improve safety standards and hygiene. But some said it may cause many subdivided units in industrial buildings and the rent may be pushed up by the landlords. If the rent rises, the underprivileged will cut other expenses for paying the rent. It is no good for them to improve their living.
The public urge that the government should provide many public housing estates for the low-income livelihoods and the elderly, to revive the Home Owner Scheme (HOS) immediately. Some believe that those measures can ease the property problem to improve the grassroots’ living condition and to make the poor students and children have satisfied room for studying and playing. Nevertheless, the administration does not want to see the property bubble to be busted repeatedly.
If the CY administration had a determination to have the perfect scheme as well as long term strategy of property development, it would have been supported by the public. If the root of living problem were solved, the Long Term Housing Strategy Steering Committee would not have a licensing or landlord registration system.
Ken Ho