A Post investigation into village houses offered for sale as part of a managed estate hints at more abuse of the long-criticised Small House Policy.
The policy is intended to give male indigenous villagers in the New Territories the right to build a house close to their ancestral homes. It was created in the 1970s to improve rural housing and the cohesion of rural communities, but conversations with estate agents selling homes on one new estate offer further evidence that it is being abused for profit.
The investigation also hints at pitfalls for buyers, who could end up paying millions for homes that lack essential infrastructure.
The Post, posing as a potential buyer, spoke to agents offering homes at The Parkland development in Ping Yeung, Ta Kwu Ling, which they say is made up of 33 village homes, some of which are divided into one- or two-storey flats.
Records of land transactions for the site indicate that the homes were never intended to be occupied by villagers. Instead, 'dings' [indigenous male villagers entitled to a small house grant] exploited their right to build a small house for a quick profit.
Land records show that two companies bought six lots from the villagers managing the sites, all surnamed Chan, at a cost of more than HK$5.4 million from 1997 to 1999.