Editorial | Urgent effort needed to tackle Hong Kong urban decay
- City government should consider setting up a task force to deal with aged buildings that pose a threat to residents and even passers-by
There are growing concerns that the city’s problem with crumbling old buildings is not being addressed fast enough. It is time for Hong Kong authorities to review the system meant to defuse “ticking time bombs” before the unthinkable happens.
Calls for inspections and repairs have intensified since recent incidents involving concrete falling off buildings. According to a count by the Post, at least 24 pieces of debris fell in July and August alone, injuring four pedestrians and damaging a bus.
Laws in place since 2012 require buildings more than 30 years old to be checked by inspectors. Some 2,700 buildings have missed inspection deadlines, in one case a decade after an order was issued.
Last week the Post reported on how owners were often uncontactable or ignored inspection orders despite threats of fines and jail time. Residents or developers are also known to skip repairs in hopes of an Urban Renewal Authority (URA) offer of compensation before the redevelopment of an area.
The waiting game has slowed amid a downturn in Hong Kong’s property market that has pushed the URA into its first loss in almost a decade. The authority has been trying to speed up the processing of applications for a scheme offering owners technical assistance and subsidies for repairs.