ENG-1983 — Page 168

9

Housing

THE government commitment to housing is amply illustrated by the allocation to public housing development of about one-third of total public capital expenditure, and 10 per cent of annually recurrent expenditure. This compares favourably with anywhere in the world, and far exceeds the five to six per cent of public expenditure generally accepted as being a desirable target for developing countries.

The bulk of public housing is produced by the Hong Kong Housing Authority in self-contained estates in new towns. In 1982-3, the Housing Authority completed 35 400 flats of which 7 500 were for sale under the Home Ownership Scheme. The private sector completed 22 200 flats and houses. From 1985-6, annual production will be further increased by an average of 5 000 flats to be produced each year through the Private Sector Participation Scheme, whereby private developers construct flats for sale at prices deter- mined by the government. Public sector production is also augmented by flats built for sale and rent by the Hong Kong Housing Society.

Public sector housing - both rented and owned - already accommodates 2.4 million people, representing more than 44 per cent of the population. With another million people scheduled to be housed by the end of this decade and production programmes extending into the 1990s, the government commitment to housing will continue to grow.

While the public sector presses ahead with meeting production targets in terms of quantity, quality has not been neglected. Today, the design of public housing estates is geared to the growing aspirations of an increasingly sophisticated society. In terms of open space, landscaping, active and passive recreation facilities, flat layout and finishes, estates built by the Housing Authority are well up to the standard of good class private developments. Standard facilities provided in new developments include a multi-storey commercial centre, a market, a comfortable hostel for the elderly, a multi-storey car park, a terminus for buses and minibuses, gardens and play-areas, nurseries, kindergartens, and primary and secondary schools; some estates have indoor games halls and recreation centres. Such self-contained communities mean tenants can get all their daily necessities within walking distance and can comfortably spend their leisure time within their estate.

Economy and practicability dictate that domestic blocks of public housing estates are primarily of standard designs, but architects are able to add identification and character to their projects by incorporating different architectural treatments to the commercial centres and other public facilities within each layout.

The Housing Authority

The Hong Kong Housing Authority, established under the Housing Ordinance 1973, is a statutory body responsible for co-ordinating all aspects of public housing. The authority advises the Governor on housing matters and through its executive arm, the Housing