Tai Hang Sai Estate is on the brink of redevelopment. The Hong Kong Settlers Housing Corp recently announced rehousing arrangements and associated support measures for the occupants. Appropriate relocation plans and rent allowances have been offered to existing tenants, and the process of signing legal documents to accept the redevelopment arrangements has begun, along with the disbursement of the first batch of allowances. However, a few tenants are still demanding a “one-for-one” public housing replacement, which is inconsistent with the primary goal of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government and the Housing Authority to restore the three-year public rental housing allocation target as soon as possible, and also contravenes the principle of fairness. It is unlikely that the government and the Housing Authority will accept these tenants’ demands.
Hong Kong is currently home to nearly 130,000 households that are living under subpar conditions. The proliferation of subdivided housing units remains a challenging problem. It has therefore become imperative for the administration to rapidly improve the living environment of those residents in inadequate housing. After completion of redevelopment, the Tai Hang Sai Estate is projected to provide over 3,300 units, with around 1,300 earmarked for rehousing existing tenants. Most eligible tenants will have the opportunity to continue to live in their new homes after reconstruction.
The Hong Kong Settlers Housing Corp will also provide rental allowances to help the existing tenants move out, easing their economic stress and hardship during the relocation process. It is evident that the Hong Kong Settlers Housing Corp is providing ample allowances to the existing tenants. Any allocation of public rental housing resources to Tai Hang Sai Estate tenants would be unfair to all those on the public-rental-housing waiting list. To maintain policy consistency and fairness to all residents, the government and the Housing Authority should prioritize ensuring that more residents can be allocated public rental housing within a reasonable timeframe and restore the three-year target for public rental housing allocation as soon as possible. Thus, it is inappropriate to use public resources to meet the demand of a minority of Tai Hang Sai Estate tenants.
At present, a substantial number of older estates, such as Nam Shan Estate and Shek Kip Mei Estate, urgently require redevelopment. If appropriate public housing resources are available, they should be used to prioritize the relocation of tenants in those older estates. The Housing Authority currently has an established relocation policy, encompassing measures for the demolition of squatter housing and the rehousing of residents affected by the Urban Renewal Authority’s redevelopment projects. Considering that the Hong Kong Settlers Housing Corp operates within the private housing sector and does not align with the existing relocation policy for public housing tenants, if Tai Hang Sai Estate tenants were granted preferential treatment in relocation, it could significantly affect the future execution of the Housing Authority’s relocation policy.
The author, along with some community leaders, has been in close contact with residents of Tai Hang West Estate and understands their concerns, especially those of elderly tenants. Some residents who are recipients of Comprehensive Social Security Assistance or Old Age Living Allowance worry that they may lose their social security benefits if they exceed the income or asset limits after receiving the rehousing rental allowance. After conveying those concerns to the Labour and Welfare Bureau and the Social Welfare Department, they have devised special arrangements to exempt the relevant allowances from calculation. There are also residents who worry that, despite the rehousing rental allowance provided by the Hong Kong Settlers Housing Corp, they may not be able to rent a flat in the private market because many landlords are not willing to lease their flats to old folks.
The onsite social worker team also provides support services, such as helping tenants to find real estate agents, apply for transitional housing, or seek social welfare services. Recently, arrangements have been made for tenants to visit the Pok Oi Kong Ha Wai Village, and the transitional housing project, which is under construction next to Kam Sheung Road MTR station. Nearly 100 tenants have participated in those visits, with some having expressed their desire to apply for accommodation in those projects.
Tai Hang Sai Estate was built some 60 years ago; many of its residents have resided there since their youth and have strong emotional ties to the community. It is hoped that the relocation plans for the redevelopment of Tai Hang Sai Estate will be smoothly implemented, with the help of dialogue and interaction with residents throughout the planning and redevelopment phases. Future redevelopment projects should aspire to preserve the existing community relationships and recreate the unique community spirit of Tai Hang Sai Estate. Although the impending redevelopment and rehousing plans may temporarily disrupt the lives of the residents, it is believed that with collective efforts, the residents of Tai Hang Sai Estate will successfully move into their new homes, ushering in a new chapter in their lives.
The author is a member of Hong Kong’s Legislative Council.
The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.
