'More subsidised housing is a healthy scenario'

Researchers at the Our Hong Kong Foundation have projected an increase in the supply of subsidised housing in the next few years. "We are seeing that the supply of subsidised housing is going to increase in the upcoming five to 10 years, and for those who are in need, we see that this is also a healthy scenario because they will have more to choose from in the future," said Jason Leung, the foundation's assistant research director. Leung's comments came a day after the Housing Authority announced that applications for three subsidised housing schemes would open at the same time. Applications for the latest batch of Home Ownership Scheme units, as well as the latest phases of the Green Form Subsidised Home Ownership Scheme and White Form Secondary Market Scheme, would be accepted from April 30 to May 20. "I think the aim of launching all these three schemes in one go is to increase the number of affordable home ownership opportunities for those who are in need, and also to lower the complexity of the different schemes," Leung said. "The way of doing this all in one go is that you can handle the different schemes together, which means you don't have to repeat the process, and also make it easier and clearer to those who are interested in applying." Leung also spoke about the need to redevelop ageing public housing estates. "We must... place significant importance on the social impacts arising from the development process, ensuring that renewal plans remain people-centric and proceed in a stable, orderly manner." As for the private housing market, the foundation said it's experiencing a gradual recovery, with average annual supply reaching 17,100 units through 2030. Leung added that the government could boost land supply by including more plots in its land-sale programme to meet demand. Edited by Edmond Fong