STH on Long Term Housing Strategy Annual Progress Report 2018

     Following is the transcript of remarks by the Secretary for Transport and Housing, Mr Frank Chan Fan, on the Long Term Housing Strategy Annual Progress Report 2018 at a media session this afternoon (December 21):

Reporter: Mr Chan, there seems a pretty significant shortfall in terms of public housing production. What do you plan to address this problem, measures like Lantau (Tomorrow) Vision and so forth are extremely long-term. How efficient would they be in tackling the problem?
 
Secretary for Transport and Housing: There is apparently a shortfall in terms of public housing supply target of 315 000 units as compared to the land that we have ascertained as of today. But there are many options that we can pursue, for example, the increase in residential plot ratio for public housing sites, this is approved by the Executive Council and we have also submitted a relevant paper to the Housing Panel of the legislature (Legislative Council). This is one. 
 
     The second one is about the reallocation of land which is currently being allocated for private housing could be changed over to public housing. In fact, in June this year, the Chief Executive had reallocated nine parcels of land for that purpose.
 
     Thirdly, we can speed up the process like the statutory zoning, planning and associated statutory processes and also the construction processes, so that we could make those public housing available more speedily. On top of that, we also have the opportunity of having new development areas in the New Territories and also those far-sighted options which are going to be considered and to be reported to the Chief Executive by the Task Force on Land Supply. Hopefully all these would put together options and arrangements that we can find sufficient land for public housing and also for private housing.

(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)