Source: Hong Kong Information Services
Chief Executive John Lee today outlined comprehensive policy blueprints to resolve the housing issue, provide targeted livelihood support and realise a green transformation in Hong Kong’s First Five-Year Plan.
The Government will eradicate substandard subdivided units in an orderly manner by pressing ahead with the Basic Housing Unit regime, aiming to resolve the issue of substandard units in residential buildings by 2030.
Public housing supply will substantially increase, reaching around 196,000 units from 2026-27 to 2030-31 when accounting for Light Public Housing, reducing the Composite Waiting Time for Subsidised Rental Housing to less than four years in 2030-31.
The housing ladder will be further enhanced by increasing subsidised sale flat supply and refining sale and resale arrangements to support young people, public rental housing residents, and different income groups in achieving home ownership. Concurrently, the Urban Renewal Authority will commit at least around $40 billion over the next five years for urban renewal initiatives.
Addressing livelihood protection, the First Five-Year Plan states that the administration will promote data-driven proactive support to shift from a “reactive response” towards “proactive identification and targeted support”, exploring a “welfare information sharing e-platform” and institutionalising tripartite collaboration among the Government, the business sector and the community.
Support measures will focus on strengthening the child protection system, enhancing elderly care service capacity, encouraging social integration of the elderly, and expanding cross-boundary elderly care support measures.
The Government will also offer targeted support for individuals with disabilities and their caregivers, while harnessing innovation and technology to enhance employment services and safeguard labour rights.
On green transformation and the strengthening of ecological protection, the Government will optimise the energy mix by increasing zero-carbon energy use to ensure energy security and stable electricity tariffs, while promoting green transport to achieve zero vehicular emissions before 2050.
The First Five-Year Plan adds that Hong Kong will move away from reliance on landfill disposal of municipal solid waste by 2035 by enhancing recycling and waste-to-energy networks.
Efforts to realise green transformation also include developing green technologies, establishing a green and low-carbon hydrogen certification system that connects with Mainland and global standards, while expanding ecological conservation co-operation with Mainland provinces and municipalities to protect wild fauna, flora and endangered species.
View Part 5 of Hong Kong’s First Five-Year Plan for more details.