Subdivided units should be top priority

South China Morning Post (EDT16, 2013.06.03)
We refer to the report (“Number in subdivided flats put at 171,000”, May 28).
We are appalled not only by the living situation of 171,000 fellow Hong Kong citizens, but also by the lack of appropriate action our administration has taken.
Nobody will argue that helping all those people living in subdivided flats should not be a top priority for Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying’s administration. However, while we applaud his efforts to provide 128,700 new flats by 2020, that number cannot accommodate the families currently living in subdivided units. The government must ensure that with public housing, it is giving priority to families in need.
Weed out public housing policy abusers, promote less popular flats to reduce the vacancy rate of 10,000 units a year and, most importantly, get the “rich” tenants out.
The government should not allow the 24,000 affluent families to stay in public flats. Legislator “Long Hair” Leung Kwok-hung still rents a public flat at about HK$3,000 a month while having a monthly income of HK$80,000.
Surely this is inappropriate for someone claiming to be a champion for justice. He should be setting an example to other tenants in public housing estates who earn generous salaries. It is audacious for him to remain there when he says he is a Marxist. This is not the behaviour we expect from someone claiming to be a champion of freedom and justice.
With 171,000 plus people living in squalid conditions, the government can no longer drag its feet, but must act regarding subdivided flats.
Sarah J. Pemberton and Eric Tsang, research assistants, Lion Rock Institute

South China Morning Post (EDT16, 2013.06.03)

 

We refer to the report (“Number in subdivided flats put at 171,000”, May 28).

We are appalled not only by the living situation of 171,000 fellow Hong Kong citizens, but also by the lack of appropriate action our administration has taken.

Nobody will argue that helping all those people living in subdivided flats should not be a top priority for Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying’s administration. However, while we applaud his efforts to provide 128,700 new flats by 2020, that number cannot accommodate the families currently living in subdivided units. The government must ensure that with public housing, it is giving priority to families in need.

Weed out public housing policy abusers, promote less popular flats to reduce the vacancy rate of 10,000 units a year and, most importantly, get the “rich” tenants out.

The government should not allow the 24,000 affluent families to stay in public flats. Legislator “Long Hair” Leung Kwok-hung still rents a public flat at about HK$3,000 a month while having a monthly income of HK$80,000.

Surely this is inappropriate for someone claiming to be a champion for justice. He should be setting an example to other tenants in public housing estates who earn generous salaries. It is audacious for him to remain there when he says he is a Marxist. This is not the behaviour we expect from someone claiming to be a champion of freedom and justice.

With 171,000 plus people living in squalid conditions, the government can no longer drag its feet, but must act regarding subdivided flats.

 

Sarah J. Pemberton and Eric Tsang, research assistants, Lion Rock Institute

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