Initiation of redevelopment study for Choi Hung Estate

The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Housing Authority:

     The Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA)'s Strategic Planning Committee (SPC) today (December 21) endorsed the proposal to initiate a redevelopment study for Choi Hung Estate in Wong Tai Sin. 

     In response to the invitation under "The Chief Executive's 2022 Policy Address", the HA has selected one more public housing estate to initiate redevelopment study on top of the 10 redevelopment projects that are currently being undertaken.

     Completed in 1962 to 1964, Choi Hung Estate, with an estate area of about 7.9 hectares, comprises about 7 400 public rental housing (PRH) units. "Having considered the building age, the availability of suitable rehousing resources in the vicinity for the first phase, i.e. new Mei Tung Estate and that redevelopment can increase the number of flats and provide opportunities to improve the traffic conditions in the neighbourhood, etc, a redevelopment study for Choi Hung Estate will be initiated," said the Secretary for Housing and Chairman of the HA, Ms Winnie Ho.

     The nearby new Mei Tung Estate can provide the required rehousing flats for the first phase of the redevelopment. Meanwhile, the HA's SPC has also approved at the meeting to convert the PRH development at Wang Chiu Road Phase 2 in Kowloon Bay to a Green Form Subsidised Home Ownership Scheme (GSH) project for sale, which will provide 1 467 flats.

     "Subject to the approval of the rehousing arrangements for the clearance of Choi Hung Estate and the sales arrangements for the relevant sale exercises by the Subsidised Housing Committee in future, Choi Hung Estate tenants who are affected by HA's announced PRH clearance programmes will be accorded priority to purchase the GSH flats at Wang Chiu Road Phase 2, or other Home Ownership Scheme/GSH flats in relevant sale exercises to be launched before the target clearance date, if they prefer to purchase subsidised sale flats in lieu of rehousing," Ms Ho said.

     The redevelopment of Choi Hung Estate will provide an opportunity for the Government to improve the traffic and pedestrian network at the adjoining Choi Hung Interchange and its locality. It may enhance the social welfare, community and school facilities in the area, and may create a new Choi Hung community. 

     "The study will further explore the potential of making good use of the build-back potential upon redevelopment of Choi Hung Estate. An implementation plan will be further worked out. Initially, our estimate is that about 9 200 flats could be provided upon redevelopment, representing a net gain of about 1 800 flats (about 24 per cent). We will liaise with the government departments/bureaux concerned on the traffic improvement measures and school arrangements, and engage local residents, affected schools, welfare facilities, NGOs, etc, in the process. Upon completion of the study, we will announce the rehousing and related arrangements accordingly." Ms Ho said. 

     For the other aged PRH estates, the HA will continue to consider the actual circumstances in a prudent manner in accordance with its policies and the four basic principles, namely structural conditions of buildings, cost-effectiveness of repair works, availability of suitable rehousing resources in the vicinity of the estates to be redeveloped, and build-back potential upon redevelopment, when deciding whether to redevelop individual aged PRH estates.