LCQ6: Public rental housing units for rehousing in urban renewal projects

     Following is a question by the Hon Shiu Ka-chun and a written reply by the Secretary for Transport and Housing, Mr Frank Chan Fan, in the Legislative Council today (Nov 7):
 
Question:

     At present, the Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA) has set aside a number of public rental housing (PRH) units for the Urban Renewal Authority (URA) to re-house eligible domestic tenants who are affected by URA's redevelopment projects. It is learnt that URA generally allocates to such tenants the smallest PRH units which meet the minimum standard on per-person internal floor area, while HA adopts the lower limit of the household size for a unit as the benchmark for allocation of PRH units to PRH applicants. For example, a 3-person household will be allocated a 2-to-3-person unit by URA but a 3-to-4-person unit by HA. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) of the number of PRH units allocated by HA in each year from 2013 to 2017 (set out the figures for each year in tables of the same format as the table below);
 
    Year: ____

Household size Types of PRH units
1-to-2-person unit 2-to-3-person unit One-bedroom unit for three to four persons Two-bedroom unit for four persons or more
Newly
completed		 Refurbished Newly
completed		 Refurbished Newly
completed		 Refurbished Newly
completed		 Refurbished
One person                
Two persons                
Three persons                
Four persons                
Five persons                
Six persons or more                
Total number of units                

 
(2) of the number of PRH units allocated by URA in each year from 2013 to 2017 (set out the figures for each year in tables of the same format as the table above); and
 
(3) whether it has compiled statistics to ascertain if there is a difference in the per-person internal floor area in respect of the PRH units allocated by URA and those allocated by HA; if it has compiled such statistics and the result is in the affirmative, of the reasons for that and the measures put in place to ensure fair treatment for the members of the public concerned?
 
Reply:
 
President,
 
     My consolidated reply to various parts of the question raised by Hon Shiu Ka-chun is as follows:
 
     According to the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA) and the Urban Renewal Authority (URA), the URA has been requesting the HA to reserve Public Rental Housing (PRH) units for rehousing eligible households affected by its redevelopment projects every year. Subject to availability of PRH resources, HA will reserve some PRH units for rehousing purpose of the URA. 
 
     The HA's current PRH allocation standard is no less than seven square metres internal floor area per person. The HA will allocate PRH units to eligible households in accordance with this allocation standard (as well as the maximum limit on the number of persons for each flat type). This allocation standard applies both to PRH applicants and clearees affected by the URA's redevelopment projects. 
 
     At present, there are mainly four types of newly completed PRH units of HA:
 

Type of Units Internal Floor Area Allocation Standard
(limit on number of persons)
A About 14 sq m 1 to 2 persons
B About 21 sq m 2 to 3 persons
C About 31 sq m 3 to 4 persons
D About 35 sq m 4 to 5 persons

 
     As for those PRH units which were recovered and refurbished, the HA had in the past set different allocation standards for different types of units completed at different times, with reference to their varied designs and sizes. The Housing Department has not maintained information and data on number of allocated units with breakdowns by family size and flat type.
 
     For the past five years (i.e. from 2013-14 to 2017-18), the numbers of PRH allocations in relation to PRH applications and URA's redevelopment projects are set out in Annex.