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High occupancy rate in Housing Society's rental flats
Following is a question by the Hon Lau Wong-fat and a written reply by the Secretary for Housing, Mr Dominic Wong, in the Legislative Council today (Wednesday):
Question:
Regarding rental flats under the management of the Housing Society (HS), does the Government know:
(a)
of the total number of rental flats managed by the HS;
(b)
of the proportion of vacant rental flats to the total number of rental flats, together with the number of such flats being left vacant for over a year, in each of the past five years; and
(c)
whether the HS has considered lowering the rent of the flats being left vacant for over a year so as to attract potential tenants?
Answer:
Mr President,
The Hong Kong Housing Society manages 33,271 rental flats. In the past five years, the average occupancy rate is about 99%. Details are given as below:
Average occupancy rate
1991-92
1992-93
1993-94
1994-95
1995-96
99.3%
99.1%
99.2%
99.6%
99.1%
In the past five years, only about 30 rental flats in Kwun Lung Lau have been left vacant for over a year, in order to facilitate slope repair following the slope failure in 1994.
As the rental flats are popular and the vacancy rate is minimal, there is no need to lower rents.
End