Like Tree17Likes

Combating Public Housing Abuses

Reply
Page 3 of 3 FirstFirst 1 2 3
  1. #21

    Join Date
    Nov 2018
    Posts
    160

    Goodness gracious - 8 sq meters, usable, with a window and separate bathroom- indeed, the bare minimum. No wonder so many people, myself included, rent these storage lockers like Boxful. I pay around $500 for a large Boxful locker filled with files and books, as well as some clothes.
    For a single person, $189sq ft usable is doable, but I need to be creative, especially with so many books and files. Studios, from my experience, are fine, i.e. the living room, bedroom and kitchen are not separated, insofar as the fixtures and fittings are good.


  2. #22

    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Posts
    1,597

    Having 180,000 units recovered is not a dream.

    https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/...4112000311.htm


  3. #23

    Join Date
    Jun 2018
    Posts
    1,685
    Quote Originally Posted by hullexile:
    The idea was to provide housing to those who could not afford to buy. Maggie Thatcher hated the idea so sold them off at a discount (my parents bought their house, since sold. Now worth over a million). Now, people are forced into private rental squalor.
    Weren't the social tenancies pretty much anchored to the family though? If the houses hadn't been sold off, would many of them really have been available now to meet the newly created demand? Genuine question as my house in London is ex council and all these years later the few remaining council ones invariably have a new generation living in them after grandma's passing etc.

  4. #24

    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Posts
    1,597

    the housing department and housing authority need to change now..

    I propose that there be two years jail and 15 times the rent in penalty for the following abuses:


    • -Subletting (with or without rental income)
    • -Staying in proven alternative accommodation or not retaining regular and continuous residence for over three months (“regular and continuous” be construed in accordance with its ordinary meaning and reasonableness is the crucial yardstick in judging the cases)
    • -Engaging in illegal activities inside the premises


    For False Declaration, three years in jail and 20 times the rent.

    For non-occupation, just 15 times the rent. no jail.

    Taking more than two years to prosecute an offender is just non-sense!!


    Ombudsman should have power to fire non-performing frontline workers

    https://www.ombudsman.hk/ombudsman-announces-results-of-direct-investigation-operation-into-governments-work-in-combating-abuse-of-public-housing-resources/?lang=en

    The trouble of Ombudsman's recommendations is that there is no penalties for not following up with their accusations and/or recommendations

    Last edited by nivek2046; 23-01-2025 at 11:50 AM.

  5. #25

    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Location
    Cramped island
    Posts
    5,921

    btw as good as this sounds, it technically is a further deflationary pressure on real estate pricing in hk as empty units or abused units are placed into the market and up reducing the demand for subdivided flats.


  6. #26

    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Posts
    1,597

    there is much room for improvement

    https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/compone...1-20250122.htm


  7. #27

    Join Date
    Sep 2018
    Location
    香港特别行政区
    Posts
    3,384
    Quote Originally Posted by freeier:
    btw as good as this sounds, it technically is a further deflationary pressure on real estate pricing in hk as empty units or abused units are placed into the market and up reducing the demand for subdivided flats.
    Good. There is no reason that a basic family flat in HK should cost more than 1million USD. It's a failing Ponzi scheme. It's pure manipulation and that's exactly why none of these sensible measures will go through.

  8. #28

    Join Date
    Nov 2023
    Posts
    354
    Quote Originally Posted by freeier:
    btw as good as this sounds, it technically is a further deflationary pressure on real estate pricing in hk as empty units or abused units are placed into the market and up reducing the demand for subdivided flats.
    I would disagree. While many political/economic issues are having 'deflationary' effects, this PRH issue will not be. What it will do is slowly erode the attractiveness of poor-quality sub-divided units and cause more demand in the regular private market.

    1. PRH users will move in to the flats they are currently renting or will buy/rent another private unit. They do not simply own another flat and leave it empty. Just owning the flat is already a violation, they'd may as well earn some money while they're at it.

    2. Sub-divided flats are way overcrowded. While there are easily 3-6 families in a flat, many of those families would rather (and would be eligible) to apply for multiple flats. For example, if in one 'sub-division' lives grandpa with a mum, dad and kid, they could apply for two different units (grandpa only, kid-and-parents).

    3. Phasing out of decrepit sub-divided flats.

Reply
Page 3 of 3 FirstFirst 1 2 3