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Vivian Au

A fatal fire at a subdivided flat on Thursday has highlighted the need to eradicate substandard housing in Hong Kong, the housing minister has said, noting that affected residents had a living space of just five square metres (54 sq ft) on average.
Secretary for Housing Winnie Ho Wing-yin was referring to a blaze that killed one resident and injured four others, saying it underscored the importance of the new Basic Housing Units Ordinance.
“In the flat [where the tragedy occurred], each resident had an average living space of just five square metres, presenting numerous fire safety hazards,” Ho told a radio programme on Saturday.
“If there is an average of one to two people per unit, meaning over 10 people in a flat, the risks regarding the impact of dense smoke and potential casualties are extremely high. This is why we must make a firm resolution regarding basic housing units.”
Authorities earlier revealed that the blaze-hit flat measured about six by eight metres (20 by 26 feet) and had been partitioned into nine separate living spaces, with the fire breaking out in the rearmost area.
Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs Alice Mak Mei-kuen said on Saturday that authorities had set up a shelter at a community centre to accommodate affected residents.
The Basic Housing Units Ordinance took effect on March 1. In the first 10 days, only one landlord had come forward to seek certification approval, the Housing Bureau said.
Under the ordinance, a “basic housing unit” in a subdivided flat must measure at least eight square metres, have a ceiling height of 2.3 metres (7.5 feet), a window and a waterproof toilet, among other safety, hygiene and fire safety requirements.

Certificates must be renewed every five years. Landlords can register for a grace period before February 28, 2027. They have three years to rectify substandard properties while continuing to lease them.
The bureau estimates that about 70 per cent of the city’s 110,000 subdivided flats require only minor rectifications, while the rest will need major renovation.
Ho added that under the basic housing unit scheme, authorities had recently received 11,800 subdivided flat applications involving 3,300 homes. This meant that each flat on average was partitioned into three living spaces.
She stressed the need to convert the properties to meet the requirements, saying owners were obliged to provide a safe, reasonable and hygienic living environment for their tenants.
Meanwhile, to help landlords comply with the new standards, the bureau carried out sample rectifications at two properties in Kowloon City, covering five subdivided homes.
Ho said the homes were partitioned into windowed spaces and owners would only need to install smoke detectors and fire doors. Such modifications were estimated to cost around HK$25,000 (US$3,190), which she believed applied to roughly 70 per cent of all subdivided flats.


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Secretary for Housing Winnie Ho says victims had average living space of five square metres, presenting numerous fire safety hazards


Secretary for Housing Winnie Ho says victims had average living space of five square metres, presenting numerous fire safety hazards.


Fatal subdivided flat fire highlights need to tackle substandard homes: minister

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Secretary for Housing Winnie Ho says victims had average living space of five square metres, presenting numerous fire safety hazards

Secretary for Housing Winnie Ho says victims had average living space of five square metres, presenting numerous fire safety hazards