| Title |
An Exploration of Housing Policy Trends and Residential Design in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region |
| Authors |
Lee Hyun-Jeong ; Yoon Jung-Duck |
| Keywords |
Housing Policy ; Housing Providers ; Residential Development ; Residential Design ; Public Housing ; Hong Kong |
| Abstract |
The principal goal of this research is to analyze the housing policy in Hong Kong and its trends over time, and also to examine the features of public housing design in a chronological order. The main method of this study is in-depth interviews with professionals in the public and non-profit sectors. It is summarized that the housing policy in Hong Kong has historically addressed administrative reorganization, homeownership, collaboration for housing production among public, non-profit, and private sectors, privatization, housing subsidies, the provision of housing for special populations, new towns, various forms of urban regeneration, and sustainability. In fact, scarcity of developable land, overpopulation, and strong demand for housing have remained persistent. In 1950s, the government focused on the provision of shelter to accommodate homeless and squatters, and the government organizations dealing with housing administration were formed accordingly, which enabled the massive production of housing in the following decade. It was not 1973 until the first housing policy was established. The policy triggered administrative restructuring, homeownership for low-middle income families, rental for low-income families, urban redevelopment, and new towns. In particular, the strong economic growth in 1970s increased the purchasing power of many to own a house. The agenda of housing policy in 1987 embraced the housing needs of non-traditional households and housing subsidy. Coupled with the Asian financial crisis in 1997, the high pressure to rationally allocate public resources on housing forced the government to implement aggressive measures such minimal intervention in housing market, the production of public rental housing and the review of rental policy. By 2002, further administrative restructuring downplayed the government's role in housing mechanism. With regard to residential design, the government emphasized self-sufficiency of living environment, and it constantly adopted new building technologies and innovative design to meet the changing needs of people and to appreciate their lifestyle. It is implied that the five major housing policies in Hong Kong in the past six decades have fostered the efficiency and efficacy of utilization in housing production factors and the sage use of public resources in the wave of sustainability. |