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Simpson Cheung

Kristen Cheung

Hong Kong authorities should make raising home ownership a goal of the city’s first five-year plan, Legislative Council president Starry Lee Wai-king has said, following a visit to a public estate with the housing minister.
Lee also said the goal could be achieved by reviving a scheme that allowed public housing tenants to buy their flats and reserving subsidised homes for youth and middle-class families.
She made the remarks after inspecting Oi Man Estate in Ho Man Tin with Housing Bureau and Housing Department staff on Monday.
“I suggest gradually raising the home ownership ratio among local residents as a mid- to long-term policy goal. This would build a clearer housing ladder for citizens,” she said in a Facebook post after the inspection with Secretary for Housing Winnie Ho Wing-yin.
Lee said she had presented her recommendations on the city’s first five-year plan and housing policy to Ho during the visit.
While the Legco president said she agreed with the government’s direction of continuously increasing housing supply, she proposed additional measures to boost home ownership.
The proposals included reintroducing a refined Tenants Purchase Scheme at certain estates to help eligible public housing tenants buy their flats.
Lee also suggested increasing the supply of flats under the Home Ownership Scheme (HOS) and other subsidised sale properties, reserving a specific quota for young people and middle-class families, and optimising allocation mechanisms.
“This offers hardworking residents a realistic hope of home ownership,” she said.

During the inspection, Lee exchanged views with Oi Man Estate residents and raised their concerns to Ho and the visiting government staff.
The concerns covered estate management, environmental hygiene, facility maintenance, drainage improvements, greening and landscaping, barrier-free access and support for the elderly.
They also discussed longer-term issues such as electric vehicle charging infrastructure, smart housing management systems and future community planning following the redevelopment of Ma Tau Wai Estate.
Anthony Chiu Kwok-wai, executive director of the Federation of Public Housing Estates, said that while the Tenant Purchase Scheme would raise the home ownership rate, the government should also consider increasing the proportion of subsidised flats for sale in newly built public housing.
“The ratio of rental public housing to subsidised sale flats should be adjusted from the current 7:3 to 5:5, so residents can buy more affordable housing,” he said.
Lawmaker Chan Hok-fung, who sits on the Legislative Council’s housing panel, backed Lee’s call to raise the home ownership rate to strengthen social stability and residents’ sense of belonging.
However, he said the rental-to-sale ratio should remain unchanged for now, as the average waiting time for public rental housing had yet to reach the government’s target of 4.5 years.
“The Tenant Purchase Scheme has always been an important means to help raise the home ownership. Public housing turnover is low, with only a small number of tenants each year buying HOS flats, passing away, or moving out,” he said.
“With so few flats being freed up, it is better to sell them to sitting tenants, allowing the government to gain revenue while residents move up the housing ladder.”


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Starry Lee says reviving Tenants Purchase Scheme and reserving subsidised flats for young, middle-class families could help achieve target


Starry Lee says reviving Tenants Purchase Scheme and reserving subsidised flats for young, middle-class families could help achieve target.


Make home ownership a 5-year plan goal, Legco president says

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Starry Lee says reviving Tenants Purchase Scheme and reserving subsidised flats for young, middle-class families could help achieve target

Starry Lee says reviving Tenants Purchase Scheme and reserving subsidised flats for young, middle-class families could help achieve target