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The Long Term Housing Strategy Steering Committee (the Steering Committee) held its seventh meeting today (May 27).
Members noted the report and findings on Survey on Subdivided Units (SDUs) in Hong Kong, prepared by the Policy 21 Limited, commissioned by the Steering Committee. The Survey was conducted from end-January to end-April 2013 to estimate the number of SDUs in Hong Kong and to identify the profile of tenants living therein.
The Survey covered all districts in Hong Kong, targeting at permanent private domestic/composite buildings aged 25 years or above. The buildings were sampled and stratified according to their building age, rateable value and spatial characteristics (e.g. near MTR stations, market stalls, etc).
"6 400 households living in more than 1 800 private domestic/composite buildings were interviewed in the Survey. By adopting a ratio estimation method, Policy 21 Limited estimates that there are about 66 900 SDUs, among which 30 600 SDUs do not contain one of the essential facilities (i.e. kitchen or cooking place/toilet/water supply) inside the unit. The survey results have been taken into account in the projection of the long term housing demand," said the Secretary for Transport and Housing, Professor Anthony Cheung Bing-leung, who is also the Chairman of the Steering Committee.
At today's meeting, Members were also briefed on the recommended methodology and preliminary results of the projection of long term housing demand for the period 2013/14 to 2022/23. The projection has taken into account a number of factors, including the net increase in the number of households, those displaced by redevelopment, as well as those who are inadequately housed. A range of projection results are produced to reflect the housing demand under different economic and market conditions. "The preliminary projection has been made under a robust framework and is based on the latest available data, including the latest public rental housing Waiting List position as at end-March 2013, in which there were 116 900 general applicants and 111 500 non-elderly one-person applicants under the Quota and Points System. As the projection is premised on a large number of variables which will change over time and vary under different circumstances, a range of projection results is produced and that the projection methodology and results will be reviewed on an annual basis," said Professor Cheung.
"The recommended methodology and preliminary results of the projection presented at today's meeting have provided a basis to facilitate the Steering Committee's discussion on the subject. Taking into account Members' comments, the projection methodology and results will be further refined and considered by the Steering Committee at its next meeting," said Professor Cheung.
The Steering Committee also received today the report of the Focus Group Study conducted by the Hong Kong Polytechnic University.
Ends/Monday, May 27, 2013
Issued at HKT 22:38
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