Solving the problem of housing tops the agenda of the current‑term Government. To deal with the problem of inadequate accommodation, including sub‑divided flats, Chief Executive John Lee said the city needs key breakthroughs in housing supply and solutions to address the long‑term problem of housing shortage.

In his Policy Address, Mr Lee said the overall land supply in the coming 30 years will be over 7,000 hectares, exceeding the demand of some 6,000 hectares by about 1,000 hectares. Based on the Long Term Housing Strategy (LTHS), the projected demand for public housing in the next 10 years will be 301,000 units. While Mr Lee said authorities have identified sufficient land to build about 360,000 units, he admitted the distribution of public housing production in the coming decade will be uneven.

Key strategies and targets

Mr Lee then went on to outline the following key strategies and targets. This includes the introduction of new Light Public Housing (LPH), with about 30,000 units to be built in the coming five years. The Government will increase the overall public housing production by about 50% in the coming five years. There will also be a cap on the waiting time for Public Rental Housing (PRH) while a minimum size for new flats has been set. Sufficient land supply will be provided to ensure more private housing could be built over the next five years. Additionally, measures to expedite land production, build up a land reserve in the long-run, and assume a leading role in land supply, will help the Government stay on top of things instead of catching up with demand.

Public housing supply

Mr Lee said the Government would work closely with the Housing Authority and the Housing Society to increase public housing supply in the first five‑year period by enhancing quantity, speed, efficiency and quality, thereby shortening the waiting time for PRH.

The Chief Executive said the Government will make use of government and private land with no development plan in the near future and adopt standardised simple design to build LPH units expeditiously. A new index of composite waiting time for subsidised rental housing will be introduced to reflect applicants’ composite waiting time for both traditional PRH and LPH.

The Government will also adopt a phased approach to expedite the completion of some PRH units and will introduce a new pilot scheme on private developer participation in subsidised housing development.

To enhance quality, the Government will provide better public space, facilities and estate environment for public housing residents. The Secretary for Housing will chair an action group to develop “Well‑Being” design guidelines for new public housing projects.

Private housing supply

Based on the latest projection in the LTHS, the demand for private housing in the next 10 years will be 129,000 units. Mr Lee said the city will work to achieve this basic target and get sufficient land ready for providing no less than 72,000 residential units in the next five years. Such land may be put forward for sale or railway property developments.

Land: Increasing reserves and controlling supply

To assume a leading role in land supply, Mr Lee promised the Government would identify more land to meet demand and build up the land reserve, including developable land from the land reserve, as well as developable land from the new round of study on green belt zones and the consultancy study on Agricultural Priority Areas. He also pledged to strive to redevelop brownfield sites. There are currently 1,600 hectares of brownfield sites in the New Territories, and more than half of them will gradually be developed for housing and other uses.

Multi-pronged approach to enhance speed and efficiency

To shorten the time required for land productions the Government will streamline various procedures with respect to planning, environmental impact assessment, land resumption and infrastructure through the introduction of new bills to amend existing laws.

The Government will also streamline the arrangement for land lease extension, expedite the approval of building plans and speed up the consolidation of property interests to facilitate urban renewal of old areas.

Enhance transparency

To enhance transparency, the Steering Committee on Land & Housing Supply will formulate and regularly publish a 10‑year forecast of supply of developable land.

Kau Yi Chau artificial islands

The Kau Yi Chau Artificial Islands will expand the scope and capacity of Hong Kong’s development and greatly enhance Hong Kong’s competitiveness as a financial, commercial and trade centre. Given their close proximity to Lantau Island, the 1,000‑hectare artificial islands have good linkage with Hong Kong International Airport and the Hong Kong‑Zhuhai‑Macao Bridge, and are well‑positioned to tap economic opportunities from overseas and the Greater Bay Area.

The Government will put forth proposals on the scope of reclamation, land use, transport infrastructure network and financing options regarding the artificial islands within this year. Mr Lee said the goal is to begin the reclamation works in 2025.

Uplift the construction industry’s productivity

Mr Lee said over the next few years, the Government’s annual capital works expenditure will exceed $100 billion. The Development Bureau will establish a cross‑departmental steering committee for co‑ordinating the development of high productivity construction methods and the streamlining of related approval processes to remove barriers for the industry.