HOS needs to be decoupled from market prices to rejuvenate young people

Hundreds of thousands of small citizens have been forced to pay expensive prices to rent mortuary houses. This is already a very sad phenomenon in Hong Kong society. It was originally the most deplorable and only sadder. A group survey revealed that huts converted from pig houses or hen houses are also some of the simple residences where Hong Kong people bow to reality. Obviously, the housing problem has caused the people to live in poverty. The SAR Government must come up with practical and feasible solutions. Otherwise, people’s grievances will surely affect social stability.

Neighbourhood-level community development joint visit to 97 tenants who live in squatter huts, container houses and composite housing estates. The per capita living area of ​​squatter huts used for pigs and cats is only 63 square feet, which is more than a penalty. The seventy-five square foot independent cell of the ED is even smaller. The container house is slightly better. The per capita living area is 81 square feet, but it is still less than the average living area of ​​public housing units of 124 square feet. Space promotion is unbearable, and environmental sanitation is particularly unsettling. Snake-and-mouse and rat ants are not excluded from sleeping with the residents. The rent for these rooms is by no means cheap. The median monthly rent is 2,800 yuan, which is almost twice the median rent of 1,500 yuan for public housing.

The government launched a five-month land supply debate and proposed 18 options for consultation with the public. One option is to build a new town outside the Victoria Harbour. The Unity Hong Kong Fund commissioned the Hong Kong Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies of the Chinese University of Hong Kong to conduct a survey. It found that 45 percent of the respondents agreed to fill the sea and opposed 34 percent. However, judging by age group, the proportion of young people between the ages of 18 and 29 who object to reclamation is as high as 47%, and only 29% is approved. On the surface, young people are more concerned about environmental protection, so they have reservations about reclamation, but in fact there may be a deeper crux. Even if the reclamation builds a new town, if it does not ultimately help young people to live in it, then what incentives motivate them? In favor?

Young people now feel completely powerless in housing problems. Private housing cannot be afforded. Public housing is not eligible to apply. HOS flats are just “lucky draws” when there is too much porridge. Even if they have the privilege of winning, the price of HOS flats will be Linked to private property, many young buyers still have to rely on their father to make a dream of home ownership. There is no merit in ten years of reclamation and housing construction. If the time goes by, it will not even buy homes that are at a higher price, and now young people may become angry middle-aged people. If the pillars of society in the future lack their own pillars, then reclamation without reclamation has nothing to do with the idea. The younger generation would rather preserve the vast sea that is visible now.

In a word, young people are desperate for “high” and “upstairs”. Any option is an unattainable castle in the air and it is difficult to gain their support.

In order to appease the younger generation, the SAR Government launched the “Youth Hostel Program” with low rents as early as 2011. If you waited and waited, the Chief Executive changed and renewed. After seven years, a youth dormitory unit has so far Not completed. How many seven years of life? After delays, the first youth hostel project in Tai Po was finally started in May last year. However, after the completion of next year, it will only provide 80 units, not so much as a “salonous pay”, but rather a “disposal”. As regards the total supply of the scheme, it will only be 2,800 units. The completion period is expected to be in 2001. It is definitely a “lucky lucky draw” that is very low in quality.

As regards non-governmental organizations, the HKCSS has been permanently renting out a section of Nanchang Street in Sham Shui Po with a sum of $1 to build a “combination social house”. The intentions are not bad, and they will be rectified quickly. Unfortunately, there are only 90 units provided.

How can we let desperate young people rekindle their hopes within a short period of time? We believe that the government must seriously consider the decoupling of the price of HOS from the market price, no matter what the difficulty. In short, the general principle is to give young people a goal that they can achieve.

The original intention of the HOS policy is to provide a home ownership ladder for the middle income people who are “highly low and not good”. However, due to the fact that private housing prices are seriously dissociated from reality, the linked HOS housing has become unattainable. The latest issue is The HOS flats sold at 70 per cent of the market price are expensive. The selling price ranges from $1.59 million to $6.3 million. In view of the increasing cost of home ownership, Mrs Lam, the Chief Executive, promised to review the decoupling issue. However, some people expressed concern that the decoupling may not be technically feasible.