Hong Kong lawmakers question HK$4.39 billion bill for running 30,000 temporary public housing flats
- Administration plans to provide 30,000 temporary homes by 2027-28 for families waiting at least three years for public housing
- Government estimates operating costs for each flat are around HK$1,000 per month
Lawmaker Vincent Cheng Wing-shun on Thursday questioned whether HK$4.39 billion (US$561 million) was too much to spend running 30,000 temporary homes, known as “light public housing”, which aim to provide shelter for families in need.
Authorities earlier revealed the cost in response to legislators’ questions.
The government estimated operating costs for each flat were around HK$1,000 per month, the equivalent of HK$3.70 to maintain one square foot.
The amount is similar to management and maintenance costs for permanent public rental flats, which were HK$581 and HK$448 respectively in the 2022-23 financial year, according to official data.
“In the end, these are new flats,” Cheng told a Legislative Council Finance Committee meeting. “Is there a need to pay that much in management fees?”
The administration plans to provide 30,000 temporary homes on 13 sites in stages by the 2027-28 financial year to house families who have waited for a public rental flat for at least three years before their allocation.
The latest average waiting time for general households is 5.8 years.
Secretary for Housing Winnie Ho Wing-yin said the costs covered more than management fees.
“The operating cost is not only about cleaning, security, maintenance and repair. It also provides services,” she said.
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Ho said the funds, for example, were also used for running bus services at one of the sites and managing a public recreational area nearby, noting these would also benefit other members of the community.
The government earlier also said temporary and permanent public homes were operated differently and it was “not suitable” to compare them directly.
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Engineering sector lawmaker Lo Wai-kwok focused on the future use of the pre-made temporary flats, after the government said 95 per cent of the building materials could be reused. It also said it would consider using them as dormitories, storage rooms and construction site offices.
“You have 30,000 units. These uses can only take up a small amount. Rather, they can be used as permanent public rental housing,” Lo said.
“Of course, the government can also consider selling them to other places.”
Hong Kong public housing tenants wait average of 5.8 years to get rental flats
Ho said some temporary housing sites could remain in use for slightly longer if there was not an urgent need for new developments on them, while the government would also consider different proposals to handle them in the future.
“One of the ways can be using them as some other facilities, or just as the lawmaker has mentioned, whether we can export the product and technique to foreign countries such as other Southeast Asia countries which may have such a need,” she said.
But Ho indirectly rejected the idea of using the steel prefabricated temporary flats as permanent homes as she noted traditional pre-made ones were built with concrete.
