Housing problems will persist as long as Hong Kong’s haves ignore the have-nots

The task force on land supply has launched a five-month public consultation to reach a consensus on easing the city’s housing difficulties. Several options have been proposed, including developing brownfield sites, tapping into private agricultural land and developing part of the 170-hectare Fanling golf club. 

Research shows that the happiness index negatively correlates with the Gini coefficient; a higher happiness index is usually found in less income-disparate countries. However, at present, every stakeholder in our community reinforces their own self-interest without concern for others. A previous study has shown that altruism is not uncommon in Hong Kong, as people are willing to donate money and volunteer to help the less fortunate. However, when it comes to doing something about the housing shortage, goodwill seems to be disappearing. 

Co-existence means being fully aware of the existence of all others in the community. If some part of the community is not well, this affects its well-being as a whole. We can’t ignore the presence of others when we do not live in isolation. I don’t believe we can afford to leave the 170-hectare golf club, which is on government land, untouched when there are more than 200,000 people forced to struggle daily in subdivided flats. 

Members of the task force, including chairman Stanley Wong Yuen-fai, have visited subdivided flats in a poor area of Sham Shui Po to understand the difficulties of living in such conditions. There are also nearly 300,000 applicants waiting for public housing. Perhaps some of the golf club’s 2,600 members should visit these households so they can empathise more with their daily struggle. It is not a matter of demonising the golf club’s members; the club is on government land and we need at least part of it as a short-term solution.