Editorial | The time to consider curbs on the building of nano flats is now
- The uncontrolled development of shoebox flats will result in social problems and a waste of land and resources in the long run. The government has to strike a balance between free-market principles and policies that are socially sensitive and in the public interest
The Development Bureau has made it clear the government has no plans to rein in the construction of micro flats, or “shoebox” flats. This may be good news to aspiring homeowners who can no longer afford normal living spaces. But it is bad news for an ageing population.
Tiny homes are a disincentive for formation of new family households. And most buyers have little hope in the short term of being able to trade up in one of the world’s most expensive markets. Ironically, government policy curbs on speculative demand for luxury flats is partly responsible for developers switching to small flats and for allowing sizes to be compressed to increase supply.
A new report by a civic research group highlights the problem. It says developers have built more than 8,500 flats no bigger than 260 sq ft in the past decade – more than half of them in the past four years. In 2019 this accounted for more than 1,800 flats, or 13 per cent of private housing supply.
Liber Research Community, which focuses on land and housing issues, says Hong Kong should follow countries such as Singapore and Britain to discourage building of shoebox homes. They lack a walled kitchen and bedroom, and about 70 per cent have a “dark toilet” – a windowless bathroom that uses a mechanical system for airing. A breakdown can cause sanitation problems.
Most come from private redevelopment of old urban areas. Henderson Land Development, which is responsible for about a third of them, says the strategy meets a demand from small families and aspiring homeowners and would change in response to market shifts.