Letters | Hong Kong’s ‘light public housing’ scheme has room for improvement
- Readers discuss the design and location of temporary homes under the ‘light public housing’ scheme, and the police’s attempt to educate the public on online scams
The light public housing scheme aims to temporarily relieve demand for public housing as the government strives to boost supply. It is a convenient alternative to conventional housing, and its amenities look surprisingly appealing, but its location may not please many.
The government would probably want to keep costs down when implementing this scheme. Modular construction, whereby components of buildings such as apartment blocks are constructed off-site, then put together on-site like Lego, can also be adopted to save time and manpower. Architectural costs may also be reduced as architects would only need to design a few flats and the placement of units, in contrast to the layout of the whole structure in conventional construction.
I was pleasantly surprised by the proposed design of the homes. There is enough space for two beds, a small kitchen, and a living and dining area. As a template, it allows for many amenities for families to live comfortably, and also gives residents space for customisation. If this design is adopted, it would be attractive to lower- or middle-income Hongkongers who are waiting to be allocated public housing.
The location of these housing units is a cause for concern, however. While one site is near a light rail station, two others are pretty much in the middle of nowhere. Residents working in urban areas, such as Central and Kwun Tong, would have to spend more than two hours commuting every day.