The Hong Kong Institute of Housing Urges 2022-23 Budget Allocation to Improve the Current Old Districts and Old Buildings Conditions
HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach - 19 January
2022 -Ms. Yu Chun, President of The Hong Kong Institute of Housing
(HKIH) sent a letter to the Financial Secretary of the Hong Kong Special
Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government last week and proposed the followings regarding
the 2022-23 Budget:
(1) Allocate budget to strengthen anti-epidemic measures in old
districts and rural village areas
The COVID-19 situation in Hong Kong remains challenging. Therefore, it
is critical to improve hygiene of local community to fight the virus. However, some
buildings in old districts and rural villages do not have proper property
management (PM) support and cleaning services, they are areas of great
potential risk under the pandemic.
HKIH Recommendations
For buildings with
confirmed cases or residents who are required to receive compulsory testing ,
HKIH suggested the Government to allocate funding in the 2022-23 Budget for a
one-off comprehensive cleaning action for these buildings, their surrounding lanes
and streets. The initiative can maintain the overall environmental hygiene of
these areas, thus reducing the chance of
transmission as well as the risk faced by the community. It also serves the purpose of reminding owners and residents of the
importance of professional property management and environmental hygiene.
(2) Allocate budget to encourage residents of old buildings or village
houses to engage PM services under the pandemic
Over the years, quite
a number of old buildings in the urban area and village houses in remote areas do not have effective and professional property
maintenance and management, since they are not supported by any residents'
organizations and management companies. Different problems arise under the
pandemic, such as building management, environmental hygiene, security,
maintenance, illegal alterations and changes in building use, etc. As a result,
the Government has to face the problems which can actually be solved by engaging
consistent, professional and effective property management services. Under
pandemic crisis, citizens have stronger awareness of the need for good property
management and the Government should seize this golden opportunity to encourage
them to engage effective property management services.
HKIH Recommendations
Therefore, HKIH suggested the Government to reserve budget
in the 2022-23 Budget to provide seed funding for the establishment of Owners'
Corporations (OC) and hire PM services. The seed funding can be used for
initial appointment of professional PM companies or for setting up of CCTV
systems. It can help improving residents' living environment and extending the
lifespan of buildings, as well as, ensuring the safety and hygiene of these
areas in local community.
(3) Subsidies for implementing Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) Charging
Scheme
HKIH is delighted that The Waste Disposal (Charging for Municipal
Solid Waste) (Amendment) Bill 2018 was passed by the Legislative Council. To comply
with civil responsibility and support environmental protection, HKIH believes
that the PM industry will show full support to the scheme. All in all,
properties with OCs or PM companies will have a higher success rate in proper execution
of waste reduction initiatives. However,
it may be difficult for residents of some old buildings or rural village houses
to comply with this statutory requirement as they are lack of PM services and
monitoring systems. This may hinder the
effectiveness of waste reduction.
HKIH Recommendations
HKIH hopes that the Government will subsidize installation of CCTV
system for old buildings and rural village houses without PM company for
monitoring illegal garbage disposal and will also subsidize in upgrading or
installing public refuse collection points/recycle bins in order to enhance hygiene
of nearby areas too. Installation of CCTV system can also alleviate manpower
burden and reduce management fee if a PM company is engaged in future. This
will benefit small properties of limited owners to have PM services at an
affordable cost. At the same time, HKIH suggested the Government to reserve budget
for distributing designated garbage bags to residents free of charge at the
early stage of MSW implementation so as to assist residents to get used to the new
Scheme.
(4) Allocate budget to encourage digitalization of the
city and PM industry.
Digital transformation of the city is a popular trend.
Recently, many PM companies have launched AI-management. Supplemented with
technology and service, it can be used in daily management work and provide a
more high-quality living experience for citizens. Nevertheless, hindered by cost-effectiveness
concerns among network providers, old districts and remote areas in Hong Kong are
seriously short of facilities like optical fibres and launch stations. Thus, it
hinders the overall pace of digital transformation in Hong Kong.
HKIH Recommendations
HKIH suggested the Government to establish a long-term and comprehensive
plan for Hong Kong's 5G infrastructure projects in the 2022-23 Budget to
establish necessary network infrastructures for areas in need. Besides, the Government
should provide funding or subsidies for developing innovative technology and deploying
latest devices in the PM industry. It can help accelerating 5G infrastructure development
and benefit the digital transformation of the PM industry, old buildings'
management, and Hong Kong society as a whole.
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About The Hong Kong Institute of Housing
The Hong Kong Institute of Housing ("the
Institute") was incorporated in Hong Kong on 29 November 1988 under the Companies
Ordinance (Cap. 32 of the Laws of Hong Kong) as a company limited by guarantee.
Effective from 9 May 1997, the Institute has become a body corporate under The
Hong Kong Institute of Housing Ordinance (Cap. 507, originally 34 of 1997). The
Institute has been announced as one of the first-batch Recognised Professional
Bodies (RPBs) of PMSA since December 2019.