(a)
+
(b)
(c)
Answer:
Mr President,
13 -
When the Government proposes the sale of Flats to Sitting Tenants Scheme, have considerations been made to help those public housing tenants who cannot afford to buy the flats? Besides, how will the Government meet the housing needs of those on the waiting list?
How to determine the price and mortgage conditions for flats sold under the scheme?
Any concrete details about the housing development plans carried out jointly by the Government and private developers? Will these plans push the price of flats higher?
In the Long Term Housing Strategy Review Consultative Document released last month, I have indicated in the Preface (paragraph 6) and in Chapter 6 (paragraph 6.3) that the Government will continue to provide public rental housing to families in genuine need. This is our commitment, which has been made clear on many occasions in the past. Families on the Waiting List, which satisfy the eligibility criteria, will be offered public rental housing when their turns come. The Housing Authority will need to ensure that a sufficient stock of public rental flats is available to accommodate existing tenants who cannot afford to buy rental flats, tenants who choose to remain in public rental housing for other reasons, and eligible families on the Waiting List.
As regards Part (b) of the question, we have proposed in the consultative document to sell suitable existing public rental flats to public housing tenants at prices which are reasonable, attractive and generally affordable on the one hand, and are fair to the general community on the other. We have proposed to invite the Housing Authority to work out the details for such a new scheme as soon as possible. An important aspect is price which is proposed to be based on replacement cost, with adjustments made to reflect depreciation, the relative value of location and other relevant factors. Mortgage loan and repayment conditions are another important aspect to be considered carefully. Other details to be worked out include choice of blocks, arrangements for future management, maintenance and repairs, resale conditions, and so on. In the meantime, I do not wish to pre-empt Housing Authority's consideration of this matter. The views and proposals expressed during the present public consultation exercise will also be considered. It is our intention that the scheme to he devised should be workable and generally acceptable.