Geog Essay
Critically examine the response of Hong Kong government to the housing problems of the urban poor.
Introduction:
Hong Kong is a densely populated metropolitan so there are a lot of housing problems especially for the urban poor. As the housing problems in Hong Kong such as the shortage of housing units are getting more acute, it is worth making an in-depth analysis for the sake of gaining a deeper insight of the responses of the government in housing problems.
I will focus on different measures and actions taken by Hong Kong government in 21th Century. All data collected is based on library research and online research. There are three main responses after the comprehensive research. The following are what Hong Kong government gives responses to the housing problems of the urban poor.
Results:
First, in response to the problem of shortage of housing, the government facilitates the process of building public rental housing. There is a lack of land and property prices are not affordable for the urban poor. If the government does not provide and subsidize the public housing for the poor, they will, inevitably, live in sub-divided units and even become homeless. So, the Hong Kong Housing Authority (HKHA) is responsible for implementing public housing program which is aimed at helping to meet the housing needs of the urban poor. While people can live in public housing as it provides better living spaces for them, there are some criticisms of this public housing scheme.
The waiting time is too long which is not reasonable for the urban poor as many of them are now still living in unsafe places like sub-divided units and cage-like houses. According to the Transport and Housing Bureau’ report (2012), ‘at the end of March 2012, 189 500 applicants are still on the waiting List for the HKHA’s public rental housing. The average waiting time for public rental housing for general applicants is about 2.6 years.’ This indicates that the government is not efficient and
Introduction:
Hong Kong is a densely populated metropolitan so there are a lot of housing problems especially for the urban poor. As the housing problems in Hong Kong such as the shortage of housing units are getting more acute, it is worth making an in-depth analysis for the sake of gaining a deeper insight of the responses of the government in housing problems.
I will focus on different measures and actions taken by Hong Kong government in 21th Century. All data collected is based on library research and online research. There are three main responses after the comprehensive research. The following are what Hong Kong government gives responses to the housing problems of the urban poor.
Results:
First, in response to the problem of shortage of housing, the government facilitates the process of building public rental housing. There is a lack of land and property prices are not affordable for the urban poor. If the government does not provide and subsidize the public housing for the poor, they will, inevitably, live in sub-divided units and even become homeless. So, the Hong Kong Housing Authority (HKHA) is responsible for implementing public housing program which is aimed at helping to meet the housing needs of the urban poor. While people can live in public housing as it provides better living spaces for them, there are some criticisms of this public housing scheme.
The waiting time is too long which is not reasonable for the urban poor as many of them are now still living in unsafe places like sub-divided units and cage-like houses. According to the Transport and Housing Bureau’ report (2012), ‘at the end of March 2012, 189 500 applicants are still on the waiting List for the HKHA’s public rental housing. The average waiting time for public rental housing for general applicants is about 2.6 years.’ This indicates that the government is not efficient and