Accessing the effectiveness of redevelopment for aged public housing in Hong Kong : sustainability and improvements on living environment

Abstract

According to the latest figures from the Housing Authority, the waiting time for the first allocation of public housing reached over 5 years. The average applicant has to wait for an average of 5.1 years, which is a record high since 2000. In the case of housing, the shortage of land supply has directly led to a shortage of land for housing. This has resulted in a significant reduction in the number of public or private housing developments in Hong Kong.

Therefore, In the face of limited land supply, public housing redevelopment is one of the ways out to increase the PRH units supply to cope with the huge demand. Furthermore, the housing estates are old and aging, and the condition of the buildings is getting worse. The cost of maintenance and repair works will definitely increase with the age of the building, and one day will exceed the benefits, making the preservation of the building uneconomical. As a result, redevelopment of PRH estates provides those affected residents with an opportunity to improve their living environment.

Nowadays, sustainability is an important concept, especially in housing development and urban planning. Social sustainability shall be one of the elements to be brought into the redevelopment issue, by seeking not only to maintain the social ties and uniqueness of the community, but also to enhance the quality of life and promote the social integration of the residents. Initiatives could be launched to encourage community involvement and public participation, to strengthen community identity and neighborliness, and to conserve the heritage points of the area.

In this dissertation, it will examine whether the above purposes are achieved, and to what extent they are achieved in aged PRH estates redevelopment projects.