TNAG-1607-FCO40-22122-Minutes-and-Hansards-of-the-Legislative-Council-of-Hong-Kong-1987 — Page 203

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demand for public housing units will be satisfied only in

the mid-1990s. The proposal to sell existing public rental

units to sitting tenants does not have the effect of

increasing our housing stock and will not therefore assist

in solving Hong Kong's housing problem. In fact, the

proposal will result in a reduction of the stock of rental

housing at a time when there is still a sizeable outstanding

demand and it will have the net effect of delaying rehousing

for those who are most in need of adequate housing.

Secondly, there are management and social

problems associated with estates or blocks of flats with

a mixed population of owners and tenants. It makes

maintenance and improvement projects more difficult and

the eventual redevelopment of such estates will become

exceedingly complicated. And if only the new and nice

flats are to be sold to tenants, a situation may arise in

future in which old rental public housing will represent

the most socially undesirable accommodation in the territory.

This will have great social implications.

Thirdly, there is little incentive to the tenants

to buy the units they are currently occupying. Housing

Authority tenancies confer upon the tenants strong security

of tenure. They are in fact in almost as secure a position

as flat owners and they enjoy relatively cheap rents.

/Purchasing