Public rent flat supply to increase to 79,000

Expect the rise within 5 years.

According to the Transport and Housing Bureau, public rental housing supply will rise from 75,600 flats to 79,000 from 2012-13 to 2016-17.

In a paper tabled at the Legislative Council Panel on Housing , it said to increase production within the first five year period, the Government endeavours to advance the completion of two public rental housing projects, including Anderson Road Site C1 and Tuen Mun Area 54 Site 2 Phase 2, by one year from 2017-18 to 2016-17.

The two projects involve 3,400 flats, boosting supply to 79,000.

Most projects beyond 2016-17 are at an early planning and design stage and are subject to variations, such as change of land use, views from local communities, and the timely availability of sites.

The Government will work with its departments and District Councils to ensure the timely delivery of the projects in line with the target for production set by the Chief Executive of at least 100,000 units in the five years starting from 2018.

In the five-year period of 2012-13 to 2016-17, there will be 75,000 public rental flats, with an annual average of 15,000 flats to be produced.

Most new flats will be located in urban (55%) and extended urban areas (29%) with the remainder in the New Territories (16%).

The Government will expedite the completion of projects by making effective use of more extensive precasting elements at the roof level, and will also convert the Chai Wan Factory Estate, which will provide 180 rental flats by end-2015.

The sites for the first batch of the six Home Ownership Scheme projects are located in Sha Tin, Tsuen Wan, Kwai Tsing and Yuen Long.

The Housing Authority is carrying out preparatory works for their development. Construction work for five of these projects will start in mid-2013 for completion in 2016-17.

The authority has worked with other departments and bureaus to identify suitable sites to ensure 17,000 Home Ownership Scheme units will be completed from 2016-17. These include Kai Tak Site 1G1(B) and four of the former My Home Purchase Plan sites which are located in Choi Hung, Diamond Hill, Ma On Shan and Tai Po Districts.