Minutes of the 15th Meeting of Yau Tsim Mong District Council (2016-2019) Date : 29 March 2018 (Thursday) Time : 2:30 p.m. Venue : Yau Tsim Mong District Council Conference Room 4/F, Mong Kok Government Offices 30 Luen Wan Street Mong Kok, Kowloon Present: Chairman Mr IP Ngo-tung, Chris, JP Vice-chairman Ms WONG Shu-ming, MH District Council Members Mr CHAN Siu-tong, MH, JP Mr HUI Tak-leung Ms TANG Ming-sum, Michelle Mr CHOI Siu-fung, Benjamin Mr HUNG Chiu-wah, Derek Mr WONG Kin-san Mr CHONG Wing-charn, Mr JO Chun-wah, Craig Mr YEUNG Tsz-hei, Benny, MH Francis, MH Ms KWAN Sau-ling Mr YU Tak-po, Andy Mr CHOW Chun-fai, BBS, JP Mr LAM Kin-man Mr CHUNG Chak-fai Mr LAU Pak-kei Mr CHUNG Kong-mo, BBS, JP Representatives of the Government Mrs ARON Laura Liang, JP District Officer (Yau Tsim Mong) Home Affairs Department Mr HO Chung-yin, Terrence Assistant District Officer (Yau Tsim Home Affairs Department Mong) (1) Miss CHUNG Ka-wing, Rainy Assistant District Officer (Yau Tsim Home Affairs Department Mong) (2) Mr CHAN Yiu-keung, Edward District Environmental Hygiene Food and Environmental Superintendent (Mong Kok) Hygiene Department Mr CHEUNG Wai-man District Environmental Hygiene Food and Environmental Superintendent (Yau Tsim) Hygiene Department Mr Kerry Paul Lee CAREW District Commander (Mong Kok) Hong Kong Police Force Ms TAM Pik-ling Deputy District Commander (Yau Hong Kong Police Force Tsim) Mr CHOY Chik-sang, Mario Chief Transport Officer/Kowloon Transport Department Mr CHAIONG David, Stanley Chief Leisure Manager (Hong Kong Leisure and Cultural Services West) Department Mr CHAN Ping-wa, Edmund Chief Engineer/South 2 Civil Engineering and Development Department Mr TSE Chick-lam Chief Manager/Management Housing Department (Kowloon West and Sai Kung) In Attendance: Mr YING Yiu-hong, Stanley, Permanent Secretary for Transport and Transport and Housing JP Housing (Housing) cum Director of Bureau Housing Ms LO Wing-yee, Alice Head (Central Support Unit), Housing Department Permanent Secretary’s Office Ms CHIU Shui-man, Tabitha Deputy District Leisure Manager Leisure and Cultural Services (District Support) Yau Tsim Mong Department Mrs CHU LEE Mei-foon, Senior Librarian (Yau Tsim Mong) Leisure and Cultural Services Karen Department Ms HO Wing-sze, Marianna Senior Manager (Kowloon Leisure and Cultural Services West/Cultural Services) Department Miss WONG Shuk-han, Diane Principal Assistant Secretary for Food Food and Health Bureau and Health (Food) 2 Miss HO Tsz-ting, Agnes Assistant Secretary for Food and Food and Health Bureau Health (Food) 3 Mr YEUNG Chun-hoi Public Niche Allocation Officer Food and Environmental Hygiene Department Mr Addie LAM Deputy Head, Communications and The Kowloon Motor Bus Public Affairs Department Company (1933) Limited Mr Mike KWAN General Manager, Planning and Urban Renewal Authority Design Mr SO Ngai-long Senior Manager, Community Urban Renewal Authority Development Mr Simon KONG Manager, Acquisition and Clearance Urban Renewal Authority Secretary Ms CHUNG Siu-lan, Joanne Senior Executive Officer (District Home Affairs Department Council), Yau Tsim Mong District Office Absent: The Honourable TO Kun-sun, District Council Member James Opening Remarks The Chairman welcomed the representatives of government departments and the attendees to the meeting. He said that Mr Kerry CAREW, District Commander (Mong Kok) of the Hong Kong Police Force (“HKPF”), was engaged in other duty commitments and would not be available for the meeting until about 3:45 p.m. In addition, Mr CHOW Yat-ming, Joe, District Commander (Yau Tsim), was on vacation leave, and Ms TAM Pik-ling, Deputy District Commander (Yau Tsim), would stand in for him at the meeting, but Ms TAM Pik-ling was also engaged in other duty commitments and would not join the - 2 - meeting until about 4 p.m. (Mr Benny YEUNG joined the meeting at 2:33 p.m.) Item 1: Visit of Permanent Secretary for Transport and Housing (Housing)/Director of Housing to Yau Tsim Mong District Council (“YTMDC”) 2. The Chairman welcomed Mr Stanley YING, Permanent Secretary for Transport and Housing (Housing) cum Director of Housing, Mr TSE Chick-lam, Chief Manager/Management (Kowloon West and Sai Kung) of the Housing Department (“HD”), and Ms Alice LO, Head (Central Support Unit), Permanent Secretary’s Office of the HD. (Mr CHUNG Chak-fai joined the meeting at 2:33 p.m.) (Mr CHOW Chun-fai joined the meeting at 2:37 p.m.) (Mr Derek HUNG joined the meeting at 2:39 p.m.) 3. Mr Stanley YING said: (i) He had attended a meeting of the YTMDC in October 2014 to brief Councillors on the housing policy and the work of the HD. At that time, the formulation of the Long Term Housing Strategy (“LTHS”) had been in progress. The LTHS, subsequently announced by the Government in December of the same year, adopted a supply-led strategy. The Hong Kong Housing Authority (“HKHA”) had carried out a series of follow-up work based on the recommendations of the LTHS. (ii) Under the framework of the LTHS, the Government updated the long term housing demand projection annually and presented a rolling ten-year housing supply target. For the ten-year period from 2018-19 to 2027-28, the total housing supply target was 460 000 units, while 280 000 units of which were public housing units. As of now, assuming that all sites identified could be smoothly delivered on time for housing development, the Government had identified land for the construction of about 237 000 public housing units for the coming ten-year period. This lagged behind the supply target. (iii) To follow up on the supply target, during the past few years, the Government had adjusted the manpower timely. The manpower of the HKHA had also increased to accelerate the handling of arrangements related to housing development. In addition, the Government had set aside funds for the Housing Reserve a few years ago. If necessary, the HKHA would discuss with the Government and seek approval of the Finance Committee of the Legislative Council (“LegCo”) for funding to be drawn from the Housing Reserve when appropriate. As of now, the Housing Reserve had accumulated to $78.8 billion. Despite so, facing the situation that the land supply was still limited, the Government had all along been finding land on all fronts, and had recently set up the Task Force on Land Supply. - 3 - (iv) Regarding the public housing supply, according to the projection of the Government, the total number of public housing units supplied in the five-year period starting from 2014-15 would be about 81 000. As for the five-year period starting from 2017-18, the Government projected that the total public housing supply would be about 100 000 units, an increase of about 19 000 units. Among which, about 75 000 units were public rental housing (“PRH”) units while the remaining 25 000 units or so were subsidised sale units. (v) The Government had launched again the sale of Home Ownership Scheme (“HOS”) flats since 2014, and about 8 900 subsidised sale units had been sold so far. Moreover, about 4 400 subsidised sale units would be put on sale soon. As what had just been mentioned, for the five-year period starting from 2017-18, the Government would launch the sale of 25 000 subsidised sale units. This would provide more choices in flat purchasing for Green Form and White Form buyers. In addition, as the Green Form buyers would release the existing PRH units they occupied through the “one-for-one” arrangement, the Government could reallocate the released units to those awaiting PRH allocation. (vi) To optimise the use of existing housing resources, the HKHA had launched two pilot projects for the Interim Scheme of Extending the HOS Secondary Market to White Form Buyers. The HKHA had endorsed regularising the White Form Secondary Market Scheme (“WSM”) in 2017. The quota for WSM in 2018 was 2 500, and the annual quota for the future years would be adjusted in the light of the demand, in the hope to help White Form buyers to purchase their own flats. (vii) The HKHA had launched a pilot project for the Green Form Subsidised Home Ownership Scheme (“GSH”) in 2015. After review, the HKHA had endorsed regularising the GSH in early 2018. The HKHA was currently assessing some PRH projects with a view to launching the sale of flats of the first regularised GSH project at the end of this year. The concept of the scheme was to sell PRH units under construction to PRH tenants and eligible Green Form buyers, helping them to purchase their own flats. In addition, through the “one-for-one” arrangement of the scheme, PRH units could be released and reallocated to those awaiting PRH allocation after renovation. The needs of both groups could be satisfied. The arrangement would not increase or decrease the supply of PRH units. (viii) The HKHA was determined to combat the abuse of PRH resources. It disseminated the relevant messages through publicity, and encouraged PRH tenants and members of the public to report the suspected cases of abusing PRH resources to the HD. (ix) The HKHA had amended the Well-off Tenants Policies after review in 2017. (x) One of the major functions of the HKHA was to provide affordable housing units for low-income households to address their housing needs, and to provide non-domestic facilities, including retail shops, social and welfare facilities, - 4 - Councillors’ offices and car parks, for residents as appropriate. When circumstances permitted, in the planning of new development projects, the HKHA would make plans for the ancillary facilities to be provided for the housing estates according to the relevant policies and planning requirements of the Government, and would consult the departments and organisations concerned, including District Councils, about which ancillary facilities should be included in the housing estates in order to address local aspirations.