Hong Kong will take multi-pronged measures to increase the supply of residential units and land to address the chronic housing shortage, according to the annual policy address delivered Wednesday by Chief Executive of China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Carrie Lam.
Lam added that the HKSAR government is confident that there will be a steady supply of land for private housing development.
To ensure a sustainable land supply beyond the next 10 years, the government is actively pressing ahead with relevant studies on the reclamation works for the Kau Yi Chau Artificial Islands and the various development areas in the New Territories North.
Subject to the studies and assuming a domestic plot ratio of 4 to 6.5, the ongoing large-scale projects and projects under planning are expected to provide about 400,000 to 500,000 public and private housing units in the medium to long term, Lam said.
Together with the 165,000 to 186,000 units that can be built on the newly identified land under the Northern Metropolis Development Strategy, the supply of housing units can go up to 565,000 to 686,000 units in the period of 10 to 15 years after 2031 to 2032, said the chief executive.
The 2021 policy address, the fifth of its kind since Lam took office in 2017, focuses on bolstering Hong Kong's economy, tackling an entrenched housing shortage and prompting Hong Kong to better integrate into the national development.
Produced by Xinhua Global Service
