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Chloe Lai

The government will consider reinstating the Home Ownership Scheme if the private residential market fails to provide suitable flats for low-income families, the housing chief said yesterday.

Secretary for Housing, Planning and Lands Michael Suen Ming-yeung  was responding to pressure from legislators to revive the subsidised housing scheme, which was mothballed in 2003 as part of efforts to revive the property market.

Critics believe Mr Suen wants his successor to have flexibility in changing housing policies.

Unionist Wong Kwok-hing  said at a meeting of the Legislative Council's  housing panel: 'Your decision in 2002 to suspend the scheme was made to favour developers. Will you review the policy?'

Mr Suen replied: 'I have to be careful. Never say never. There is no urgency now. But in the future, if the situation changes, I will not rule out the possibility.'

In November 2002, Mr Suen told legislators: 'The production and sales of HOS flats will cease indefinitely from 2003 onwards.' This was widely understood as indicating the scheme had been scrapped.

He told yesterday's meeting the government hoped  public housing tenants would be able to buy affordable private housing and so release subsidised flats for needy families.

'We hope [public housing tenants] can improve their living conditions, moving from small units to big units and then to even bigger units,' he said. 'In 2002, there was an abundant supply of units of  the right size, price and location in the private market for public housing tenants to choose from. The government did not want to overlap with the private sector. Unless the situation changes, we won't change our policy.'

Subsidised  flats usually sold for about  HK$1 million but hardly any new private flats now sell for less than HK$2 million.

Centaline Property Agency research manager Wong Leung-sing said: 'Developers package all  developments as luxurious projects to mark up the price.  It is impossible to get first-hand properties  for less than HK$2 million. They are unaffordable for many first-time buyers.'

But he  did not see a need  to revive the subsidised housing scheme, saying low-income families could still buy in the second-hand market.

'It is not the government's responsibility to help people buy their property. It is also not the developers' responsibility to cater for low-income families.'

Mr Suen also warned  the Housing Department faced problems securing land for subsidised rental flats  because of the desire of local councillors for a better environment.



Subsidised flats scheme may be revived, says housing chief