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1. Celebrating 50 Years of Public Housing Development

1. Celebrating 50 Years of Public Housing Development
HKHA Press Release, 23 December 2003

Scores of public housing tenants and community leaders gathered together today (23 December) at Shek Kip Mei Estate -- the birthplace of public housing in Hong Kong -- to celebrate public housing's golden jubilee anniversary.

Fifty years ago, the first resettlement estate was initiated to provide emergency relief for victims of the Shek Kip Mei fire, which saw the ultimate development of public housing into what it is today.

Revisiting the history of public housing development with more than 100 guests attending the unveiling ceremony of the celebrations, the Chairman of Housing Authority, Mr Michael Suen, noted that public housing development have been marked by a number of other milestones.

These include the Ten-year Housing Programme initiated by Sir Murray MacLehose in 1972; the inception of the Home Ownership Scheme in 1976; the introduction of the Long Term Housing Strategy in 1987 and the White Paper on Long Term Housing Strategy in Hong Kong in 1998.

"Success does not come without effort," Mr Suen said.

The number of applicants on the Waiting List has been significantly reduced to about 90 000 from 150 000 in 1997, and the average waiting time from over six years in 1997 to less than three years at present.

"Over these years, public housing has been modernized and significantly improved both in terms of design and provision of facilities, benefiting residents as a whole," Mr Suen said.

“Public housing and Hong Kong may have experienced changes over these years but our mission to 'serve the community' has always remained," he added.

"The Government had clarified and repositioned its housing policy in November 2002 and in the years ahead, resources will be pooled together to provide basic housing subsidy to those in need, while ensuring that limited resources will be allocated fairly and effectively," he said.

Looking ahead, Mr Suen said the road to success would be full of challenges but the Housing Authority would work together with various sectors for a better future.

"We look forward to, and have always enjoyed, the happy moments when families in need are rehoused in one of our public housing estates," he added.

At the ceremony, Mr Suen unveiled a commemorative plaque together with the Permanent Secretary for Housing, Planning and Lands (Housing), Mr Leung Chin-man, and launched a commemorative book entitled "Fifty Years of Public Housing in Hong Kong: A Golden Jubilee Review and Appraisal". The book was jointly produced by the HA and the Hong Kong Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies (HKIAPS) of the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

Edited by Professor Yeung Yue-man and Dr Timothy Wong of the HKIAPS, the book records the challenges, triumphs and accomplishments in the development of public housing in Hong Kong.

Earlier in the month, the Hong Kong Post has launched a set of special stamps on "Development of Public Housing in Hong Kong". It was the first set of pentagonal and tete-beche stamps in Hong Kong. The special stamps have been well received by the public.

Celebration events in the coming year will culminate in the International Housing Conference 2004 to be held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre from 2 to 4 February.

The Conference, with the theme "Housing in the 21st Century: Challenges and Commitments", is expected to attract 600 local and overseas participants. Conference topics will include Transformation in Housing Policies, Globalization and Housing Development, and Sustainable Housing for Healthy Living. Registration on-line is available at www.housingauthority.gov.hk/en/ihc.

From June to October 2004, the HA will join forces with the Hong Kong Heritage Museum for an exhibition that will provide a glimpse of a variety of communal lifestyles in public housing estates.

As a grand finale, a giant mural will be painted at Cheung Wang Estate in Tsing Yi in December 2004. Students, public housing tenants, Estate Management Advisory Committees and District Councils will be invited to take part in the project.