More than half of the respondents to a survey on public housing think the cash-strapped Housing Authority should sell all public units in stages.
Albert Ho Chun-yan, the Democratic Party's housing spokesman, said by doing so, the authority could ease its financial hardship and reduce maintenance costs.
'The government always complains that public housing is a burden [and] that it increases financial pressure on the administration. By selling public flats, the authority will have more income and can get rid of the heavy maintenance subsidy,' Mr Ho said.
The authority is facing an operational deficit of about $1.1 billion this fiscal year. It is largely because of the suspension of sales of Home Ownership Scheme flats.
As public housing tenants do not have to pay for maintenance, the authority on average subsidises each unit by $1,882 a year.
The Democratic Party interviewed 734 people, and found that more than half said the authority should sell all the public units in stages.
