Hong Kong to consider easing proposed regulations on subdivided flats
Housing minister also says government will focus on building public homes on larger sites rather than individual blocks on less desirable plots
Hong Kong authorities will consider lowering proposed minimum regulatory standards for subdivided flats and extending the grace period for owners to rectify their properties to three years, the housing minister has revealed.
Secretary for Housing Winnie Ho Wing-yin also said on Sunday that the government would focus on building public homes on larger sites to enhance efficiency rather than opting for single blocks on narrow or steep plots.
Ho said the government was likely to adjust proposed regulations targeting “shoebox homes” – small living spaces notorious for their hygiene and safety hazards – after receiving about 2,200 submissions during a two-month consultation that ended last week.
She said many political parties and advocacy groups hoped regulations could be implemented gradually and had expressed concern that owners and tenants would be left with insufficient time to adjust to the new rules.
“Initially, we proposed a grace period of 12 to 24 months. We received submissions suggesting a grace period of 36 months to give owners and tenants time to deal with moving house and building works,” she told a radio programme.
Authorities aimed to have the legislature pass the bill within the year, which would establish new minimum standards for subdivided flats, including a proposed size of at least 86 sq ft.