Will Hong Kong’s search for land benefit the public or developers? Commit 70 per cent of space for public housing to ease doubts, think tank says

At least 70 per cent of land eyed for new flats in the next decade should be used for public and subsidised properties if the Hong Kong government wants to rally support for controversial ideas to ease the city’s housing crisis, including working with private developers, a think tank has urged.

Land Watch, which met members of the government-appointed Task Force on Land Supply on Thursday, said it generally supported most of the 18 options put forward by the official body for a five-month public consultation which began last month.

The options ranged from using privately held farmland in the New Territories to building on the fringes of Hong Kong’s cherished country parks.

But the think tank said it would only back the plans on the condition that most of the land freed up was used to benefit the wider public.

A firm commitment on this from officials would show they had the public interest at heart, and would ensure the new flats were affordable, Land Watch chairman Lee Wing-tat said.

“The public will say, what’s the point of this public consultation if the land is just going to be used to build luxury flats?” Lee said.