Urban decay is among the most urgent social problems in Hong Kong today. More than 110,000 families live in these unhealthy and unsafe homes. The consequences can be fatal: four people were killed last year when an ageing block of flats collapsed in Ma Tau Wai.
A similar tragedy could happen again elsewhere in our city unless urgent action is taken to tackle this threat to the lives and comfort of so many families. The Urban Renewal Authority has conducted an extensive investigation of this dangerous housing. The findings are grim. About 4,000 blocks in Hong Kong are already over 50 years old. The total is set to increase four times, to 16,000, over the next 20 years.
These buildings were constructed using reinforced concrete that was not designed to last more than 50 years. Inevitably, large numbers of them suffer from serious dilapidation, especially when little money has been spent on their repair and maintenance over the years.
The URA's survey classified 3,000 buildings as already substandard. The alarming state of the structures is matched by dreadful standards of accommodation. Living conditions for most of their occupants can only be described as squalid. Typically, three or more families are packed into the average flat of around 500 sq ft. The common areas are filthy and prone to flooding, and there is a constant threat of fires caused by defective electrical wiring and fittings.
Efforts by the URA and the government have reduced the number of such substandard buildings in recent years. But we need to do a lot more - and urgently. The URA is determined to increase its rehabilitation and redevelopment efforts. We cannot succeed without the community's support.
The government's new urban renewal strategy, the result of a two-year consultation exercise, sets out how Hong Kong people generally want urban decay to be tackled. The strategy has been reshaped and redesigned in response to the community's input about the problems and priorities. In other words, the people have spoken and we now need to act quickly.
The strategy will empower the URA to end the shame of our slums and free many more families from the misery of living in homes plainly unfit for human habitation. For a start, we are taking major steps to improve the options for those most affected by the process.
