Give Tung Chung's empty estates HOS flats, says Green Sense

An urban planning concern group is asking for more Home Ownership Scheme flats to be built in Tung Chung on Lantau, rather than public rental housing. Green Sense made the call after a visit to Yat Tung Estate found 50 seemingly vacant units.

These units did not have any furniture and there was no renovation going on.

The assessment of the estate's 25 buildings was made from ground level, by members looking up at the flats on the lowest eight floors.

"It's widely known in the community that Yat Tung Estate is unpopular among public housing applicants as Tung Chung is far from the city centre and the estate is far from the MTR station," said Roy Tam Hoi-pong of Green Sense. "They don't want to spend too much on transport.

"Instead of rental housing, the government should build HOS flats in Tung Chung," he said, adding HOS flats would attract better-off families, which would bring more amenities to the area.

Currently, Tung Chung has only one HOS estate.