Housing Authority proposes redevelopment of Sai Wan Estate with on-site rehousing

The Housing Department (HD) submitted documents to the Central and Western District Council on Tuesday about the clearance and rehousing arrangements for the redevelopment of Sai Wan Estate (SWE).

The estate in Kennedy Town comprises five blocks—West Terrace, North Terrace, Centre Terrace, South Terrace and East Terrace—between Ka Wai Man Road and Cadogan Street.

The authority expected to increase SWE’s current 636 flats by 460 to about 1,100 flats after the redevelopment, according to a preliminary study. 

The department proposed to relocate all affected tenants at once to nearby Phase 1 of the Ka Wai Man Road public housing development, scheduled for completion in 2029.

On-site service organizations, including the Hong Kong Young Women’s Christian Association and Mount Davis Kai-Fong Welfare Association, will also move to the same phase.

The Hong Kong Young Women's Christian Association—Jockey Club Western District Integrated Social Service Centre will continue to provide service in another venue within the district. 

The HD said they will provide sufficient rehousing resources, including that affected residents will be relocated to suitable renovated public housing units in any area of ​​their choice, subject to resource availability.

Additionally, they proposed offering domestic tenants affected by the clearance a domestic removal allowance to help meet part of their moving expenses. 

Eligible one-person and two-person households, regardless of age, may also opt to receive a cash allowance instead of rehousing to a public rental housing unit as an alternative option to suit their needs, including residential care homes for the elderly or settling in mainland China.

An on-site Community Service Team in SWE was also proposed to be established to assist the affected households, especially the elderly. 

The proposals await Housing Authority approval and formal announcement.

Secretary for Housing Winnie Ho Wing-yin noted the plans followed extensive community engagement, including workshops, questionnaires and resident consultations to gauge views.

She emphasized tailoring redevelopment to each estate's unique features, preserving community memories while optimizing resources to house more people.