29th January 2023 – (Hong Kong) To address the short-term public housing shortage, the Chief Executive announced in the 2022 Policy Address that about 30,000 light public housing units will be completed in five years. The Housing Bureau will apply for funding from the Public Works Subcommittee of the Legislative Council on the 8th of February to commence work. Sources revealed that among the 8 pieces of land involved in the site selection for light public housing, 3 urban sites include Kai Hing Road in Kai Tak, Choi Hing Road in Ngau Tau Kok and Chang On Street in Chai Wan, can provide a total of about 15,000 units, among which Kai Tak will have maximum of about 10,700 units, followed by Ngau Tau Kok with about 2,300 units, and Chai Wan with about 1,600 units. In addition, Siu Lam, Tuen Mun, another light public housing site in the New Territories, is also expected to provide about 5,000 units.
Frankie Ngan Man-yu, a directly elected district council member of Kowloon East, said that he disagreed that the construction of light public housing in Kwun Tong would congest the area, but he hoped that the government could refer to the transitional housing project United Court in Yuen Long and provide basic facilities at the light public housing site, such as restaurants to allow residents to be self-sufficient. When asked if he was worried that the cost of light public housing would be more expensive due to the increase in provision of additional facilities, Ngan said that he was not worried about the cost issue, defending that light public housing project is meant for government to incur costs to help citizens in need to tide over the transitional period and to provide a comfortable living environment.