Housing policies to be gradually adjusted: Winnie Ho

In response to increasing demands for more housing, Winnie Ho Wing-yin, the Secretary for Housing, announced on Sunday that the government plans to enhance the supply of home ownership housing and improve the balloting system for these units.

She stated that a good housing policy must adapt to societal changes and citizens' expectations. She highlighted the previous government's ten-year hiatus in building such housing and noted that the current government plans to increase the housing supply.

Ho pointed out that the Hong Kong Housing Authority sold 9,200 home ownership units last year and 7,100 units this year. She added that the government plans to sell an average of 7,000 units annually over the next five years to assist mid- or low-income families in owning homes.

The Secretary also noted that the government will gradually adjust the supply to increase the availability of home ownership housing.

However, she acknowledged the challenges of balancing this increase with the need for public housing, emphasizing that any adjustments must consider all stakeholders and aim to reduce the waiting time for public housing.

Addressing concerns about the home ownership housing balloting system, Ho stated that the government is aware of the dissatisfaction among those who have not been successful in the lottery.

She assured that the government is actively devising ways to improve the system and will announce new arrangements soon.

Regarding the allocation ratio between Green Form and White Form applicants, Ho confirmed that she has received feedback on this issue and is considering it as part of the broader enhancements to the balloting system.

She clarified that any changes in the allocation proportions would require careful analysis and calculations, promising that a new arrangement will be announced in due course.