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Following is a question by Hon Fred Li, and a written reply by the Secretary for Housing, Mr Dominic Wong, in the Legislative Council today (November 7):

Question:

The Chief Secretary for Administration announced on September 3, this year that the sale of Home Ownership Scheme (HOS) flats would be suspended until the end of June next year, and that the number of HOS flats subsequently put on sale would be reduced. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council of the specific arrangements for HOS estates which have already been completed but not yet occupied and those which will be completed in the next three years, with the following details:

(a) the respective names, locations, numbers of flats, estimated completion dates and planned vacant periods of the HOS estates that will be left temporarily unoccupied;

(b) the respective names, locations, numbers of flats and estimated completion dates of the HOS estates that will be transferred to public rental housing; and

(c) the respective names, locations and numbers of flats of the HOS estates that will be changed to be used for re-housing public housing tenants affected by the Comprehensive Redevelopment Programme of the Housing Authority; as well as the details of the relevant re-housing plans?

Reply

Madam President,

Implementation of the 10-month moratorium on the sale of Home Ownership Scheme flats and the subsequent ceiling on sales at not more than 9 000 flats a year up to 2005-06 announced by the Chief Secretary for Administration on September 3, 2001 will affect 22 Home Ownership Scheme and Private Sector Participation Scheme projects. Six of these projects will be transferred to public rental housing. Details are at Annex.

The Housing Authority has not decided on the Home Ownership Scheme sales programme after the end of the moratorium on June 30, 2002. Hence the vacant period for each Home Ownership Scheme development is not known, but is estimated to range from a few months to about one year. The Housing Authority will explore means to minimise the vacant period.

Under current arrangements, tenants affected by the Comprehensive Redevelopment Programme are given the following options subject to eligibility :

(a) rehousing in a designated reception public rental housing estate;

(b) purchase of subsidised home ownership flats on offer;

(c) loans under the Home Purchase Loan Scheme; or

(d) rental allowance for the elderly.

Tenants will be given the relevant information at least 18 months before rehousing.

End/Wednesday, November 7, 2001

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