Housing Bureau holds briefing session on operation of Light Public Housing (with photos)

     The Housing Bureau (HB) held a briefing session this afternoon (May 25) on the operation of Light Public Housing (LPH). Organisations that are interested in the operation were briefed on the operation and management plan of LPH, as well as the tender process of the operation contracts. The briefing session also provided a platform for the organisations to exchange views and share comments.
 
     Representatives from over 60 non-government organisations (NGOs) and property service agents attended the briefing session. The Secretary for Housing, Ms Winnie Ho, said at the briefing session that drawing reference from the experience of transitional housing, apart from spearheading the construction of LPH projects, the Government would take one step further to take the lead in the operation and management of LPH.
 
     Operating organisations, commissioned through open tenders, have to follow the criteria set by the Government to allocate flats; handle day-to-day tenancy matters; operate and manage the facilities of respective projects; provide various social services to tenants; and arrange the moving-out of tenants when a project ends, etc.
 
     Apart from the tender price, the HB places equal emphasis on the management capability, relevant experience and past service performance of the tenderers, as well as the proposed operation and management modes in their proposals. The Government will decide on the most suitable organisations for operating LPH through assessment based on a number of factors.
 
     In the coming five years (i.e. from 2023-24 to 2027-28), the Government plans to build about 30 000 LPH units. The tendering exercises for the first four LPH projects (located at Yau Pok Road, Yuen Long; Choi Hing Road, Ngau Tau Kok; Tuen Mun Area 3A; and Olympic Avenue, Kai Tak respectively) are expected to start by phases from the first quarter of 2024 at the earliest. For individual projects of larger scale, the contracts will be split into smaller ones as appropriate.
 
     The HB hopes that LPH not only improves the living conditions of people residing in inadequate housing soon, but also gathers different stakeholders in society, through operating LPH projects, to work with the Government to further enhance the living standard of the underprivileged and build a more harmonious, inclusive and caring community.