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The following is issued on behalf of the Housing Authority:
The Housing Authority will continue to strive to develop a green, healthy and harmonious living environment for public rental housing (PRH) tenants.
The authority today (January 24) agreed on its Corporate Plan which sets out 80 key activities and 15 key performance indicators for 2008-09.
"Apart from placing our focus on optimising the use of land and securing land resources for PRH production, among our priority tasks for 2008-09 are initiatives to develop environmentally responsive housing design for green and healthy living and to employ green materials and green construction methods," a spokesman for the authority said.
The Housing Authority will develop new estates with their own identities and promote social cohesion, as well as develop new estates for socio-spatial equity for users of all abilities.
The authority will continue to foster harmonious family relationships and promote mutual family support and care for the elderly by enhanced public housing priority schemes and other enhanced public housing arrangements. It will also work in collaboration with non-government organisations to promote and support services for the elderly.
"The enhanced public housing arrangements tie in with the Chief Executive¡¦s initiative in Investing for a Caring Society in his 2007-08 Policy Address," he said.
He said substantive effort would also be made to maintain the sustainability of the existing housing stock and to improve the living environment of the tenants. "We will continue to implement the Total Maintenance Scheme and enhance the provision of estate facilities for aged PRH estates in the coming year."
"In line with our continuous drive for environmental protection, we will explore the feasibility of implementing the Green Roof environmental improvement programme and to promote green living environment in PRH estates," he said.
The authority said improving the relationship and communication with stakeholders including tenants, contractors and staff; enhancing the operation of Estate Advisory Committee for community building and putting the surplus Home Ownership Scheme (HOS) flats on sale in an orderly manner were also important work for 2008-09.
"We are mindful of the need to continuously improve the service standard therefore we will enhance staff competence in serving our customers and supporting business initiatives through training in the coming year," the spokesman said.
"On the commercial properties front, we will draw in private sector experience in trade mix, shopping centre design and marketing promotion with a view to further improving the operation effectiveness and efficiency of our commercial properties," he said, noting that a flexible letting strategy would be adopted to increase letting rate of its commercial and non-domestic properties.
Also at today's meeting, members approved the 2007-08 revised budget and 2008-09 proposed budget. The financial forecasts for 2009-10 to 2011-12 were also noted.
The authority's finance is sustainable in the short and medium term and the authority will continue to exercise prudence in financial management in order to sustain its public housing development programmes.
Ends/Thursday, January 24, 2008
Issued at HKT 18:11
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