ENG-2008 — Page 259

Housing ❘ 203

Pursuant to the Government's policy, the primary role of the Hong Kong Housing Authority (HKHA)3 is to provide subsidised public rental housing to those who cannot afford private rental accommodation. The HKHA also assists the Government in keeping the average waiting time for public rental housing to about three years for general applicants (excluding non-elderly one-person applicants).

Institutional Framework

The Secretary for Transport and Housing (STH) is responsible for all housing matters and also serves as the Chairman of the HKHA. The STH is assisted by the Permanent Secretary for Transport and Housing (Housing), who also assumes the office of the Director of Housing and heads the Housing Department.

The Housing Department has both policy and operational responsibilities for providing public rental housing and assessing eligibility for public housing assistance. It also provides secretariat and executive support to the HKHA and its committees. The Housing Branch of the Transport and Housing Bureau monitors developments in the private housing market and oversees policy matters relating to the regulation of estate agents.

Public Rental Housing

The Government ensures that all those who cannot afford private rental accommodation have access to subsidised public rental housing. It is committed to keeping an average waiting time for public rental housing to about three years for general applicants (excluding non-elderly one-person applicants). The HKHA has put in place a rolling public rental housing construction programme while actual housing production will be adjusted regularly to take into account factors such as demand and tenancy turnover.

At present, about 2 028 200 people, or 29 per cent of Hong Kong's population, live in the public rental housing estates of the HKHA and the Hong Kong Housing Society (HKHS)4. The HKHA's revised estimate of expenditure on housing in 2008-09 was $15.6 billion, accounting for approximately 4.7 per cent of public expenditure. At end-2008, there were about 111 300 households on the HKHA's public rental housing waiting list and their average waiting time was about 1.9 years.

Rent Policy

It is the HKHA's long-established policy to set public rental housing rents at affordable levels. At present, rents are inclusive of rates, management and maintenance costs, and range from $220 to $3,370 with an average rent of $1,320 per month.

3 The HKHA, established in 1973, is a statutory body responsible for implementing the majority of Hong Kong's public housing programmes. The HKHA provides public rental housing to low-income families who cannot afford private rental accommodation. It also runs interim housing and transit centres to provide temporary accommodation to families facing short-term. problems in finding suitable accommodation.

4

The HKHS is an independent, not-for-profit organisation established in 1948. It provides subsidised housing to specific target groups at affordable rents.