Official says HKSAR gov't striving to increase land, housing supply

HONG KONG, April 21 (Xinhua) -- The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government is adopting a multi-pronged approach to increase the supply of land and public housing, an official said Wednesday.

In a written reply to lawmakers, Secretary for Development Michael Wong cited ongoing efforts including land reclamation, property development projects, and redevelopment of brownfield land.

The Lantau land reclamation program that started at the end of 2017 is expected to complete in 2030 and will be able to provide 62,100 apartments, including 44,700 public ones.

New development areas in Kwu Tung North/Fanling North and Hung Shui Kiu/Ha Tsuen will add 71,800 and 61,000 apartments in the 2030s, respectively.

Wong also said the government has examined 160 hectares of Hong Kong's altogether 450 hectares of brownfield land with no other development plans, among which 36 hectares can be developed in the near to medium-term to provide more than 20,000 public apartments.

The shortage of land and homes is considered as one of the deep-seated problems in Hong Kong, whose property prices are among the highest in the world.