John Lee policy address 2023: record 410,000 new public flats in Hong Kong, shorter waiting time over next decade
- Deputy Financial Secretary Michael Wong to lead task force tackling issues related to subdivided flats
- Urban Renewal Authority will get financial backing and planning leeway to build more private homes
The projected public housing supply would be a third more than the estimated demand of 308,000 homes, and the highest since 2014 when the government began revealing the annual numbers.
He set up a task force to tackle the issue of subdivided flats, the city’s tiniest living spaces notorious for safety, health and security hazards, although he did not set a timetable for eradicating them.
Lee devoted part of his second policy address to housing issues, and aside from updates on public flats and tiny homes, he also announced moves to put more new private housing on the market.
The government had earlier identified enough land to satisfy projected demand for public housing over the next decade, but most flats would only be ready in the second half, with supply expected to increase gradually every year.
Last year, the administration said 360,000 public flats would be available between 2023-24 and 2032-33, with only 128,000 built in the first half of the decade.
