1,093 Operation Building Bright applications approved by Housing Society

The Housing Society and Urban Renewal Authority have approved applications for Operation Building Bright grants, from 643 and 450 target buildngs.

According to Hong Kong Information Services Department, the applications involve grants of $1 billion and $630 million. Both parties have partially or fully released the grants to 26 and 40 buildings, involving $10 million and $35 million respectively, amounting to 3% of the total amount of grants involved in the cases already approved.

Secretary for Development Carrie Lam told legislators today 1,128 applications for Category 1 target buildings were received in the first round of the operation, among which 988 meet the eligibility criteria or have not been withdrawn, and have been granted “approvals-in-principle”.

Among these cases, 55 have completed their repair works and another 204 have started works. For the remaining buildings, they are at different stages of work. It is estimated the highest, lowest and average amounts of grants for each building or case are $8.9 million, $120,000 and $1.6 million.

A total of 879 buildings were selected as having difficulties in co-ordinating repair works, such as those without owners’ corporations. Among which, 409 buildings have been confirmed to require the Buildings Department to arrange repair works for them, and the owners or owners’ corporations of 163 buildings are organising repair works or have expressed they would arrange repair works by themselves.

For the remaining buildings, the department, the Housing Society and the Urban Renewal Authority are continuing to consult the owners to see if they intend to carry out repair works by themselves. If the owners are unable to carry out repair works by themselves, the department will arrange the repair works for them.

Warning letters or reminders have been issued for 35 cases of non-compliance with the requirements of the operation. Fourteen cases have been referred to the Independent Commission Against Corruption.