Establishment and Role of the Housing and Land Supply Division, Planning Department

Doc Type	DC
Paper No	7/95
Title	Establishment and Role of the Housing and Land Supply Division, Planning Department
CONTENTS	Paper No. DC 7/95 THE HONG KONG HOUSING AUTHORITY Memorandum for the Development Committee Establishment and Role of the Housing and Land Supply Division, Planning Department PURPOSE To inform members of the establishment of a new Housing and Land Supply Division in the Planning Department and its current work in i.e. planning and provision of housing land. BACKGROUND 2. In June 1994, the report of i.e. Task Force on Land Supply and Property Prices recommended a series of measures to increase housing supply, curb speculation and improve the systems of planning and development. The report also recommended a production of 45,000 additional flats by the year 2001, representing a 10% increase over the present level of production. Other measures included a continuous monitoring of the residential property market and a more co-ordinated effort amongst government departments involved in the planning and provision of housing. 3. To follow-up these recommendations, a new Housing Branch charged with the overall responsibility for housing matters was established in late October 1994. To provide technical support to the Housing Branch and to facilitate focused and co-ordinated efforts from departments involved in land supply and housing production process, dedicated teams were also established within the Planning, Lands and Buildings Departments in early 1995. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE HOUSING AND LAND SUPPLY DIVISION OF PLANNING DEPARTMENT 4. In the Planning Department (Plan D), a new Housing and Land Supply (HLS) Division, with two directorate posts and 18 non- directorate staff, was established in late February 1995. The HLS Division comprises a Housing Land Studies Section and a Housing Land Supply Section. A copy of the Plan D's organization chart, highlighting the position of the HLS Division, is at Appendix I. 5. One of the objectives of the new HLS Division is to centralise efforts in the planning and provision of housing land to meet forecast demand and to ensure timely delivery of the housing sites identified. The responsibilities of the HLS Division are summarized in Appendix II. FRAMEWORK FOR LAND SUPPLY AND HOUSING PRODUCTION 6. The production of housing units to meet the needs and aspirations of the community is a complex process. It involves the assessment of housing demand and land requirements, the timely supply of land through new land formation or redevelopment and the processing of housing developments through planning, land and building approval procedures. A broad framework setting out the key stages in land supply and housing production is at Appendix III. The current work of the HLS Division falls largely within its framework. CURRENT WORK OF HLS DIVISION 7. Since the inception of the HLS Division, the following areas of work are being actively pursued - (a) Assessment of Housing Demand The HLS Division assumes a leading role in the inter-departmental Working Group on Housing Demand (WGHD). The WGHD has derived a model for assessing housing needs and demand in the next 10 years. Based on the first run of the model, a draft technical report on the findings of the assessment is being circulated for departmental comments. The findings of the assessment will serve as a reference point for the Administration to derive the housing production targets, having regard to housing policies and resource availability. (b) Housing Land Supply In parallel urith the assessment on housing demand, the HLS Division is undertaking a stock-taking exercise on the planned and potential sites for public and private housing. The information will also provide input to the annual exercise on the assessment of the 10 year land requirement and land supply for major uses. (c) Additional Housing Land i) Acceleration of Housing Production Plaruiing Department is a member of the Housing Project Action Team (SPAT) chaired by the Secretary for Housing. H/PAT has been set up to oversee timely delivery of housing sites identified by the Task Force and the fast tracking of private housing development projects. ii) Rezoning and Layout Plan Actions on the rezoning and layout plan preparation are in hand to facilitate i.e. disposal of other housing sites identified by Task Force in subsequent years. This includes the Tin Shui Wai Reserve Zone. iii) Site Search Action continues to identify potential housing sites whiffing the purview of the Working Group on Housing Sites chaired by the Director of Planning. (d) Monitoring the Demand and Supply of Housing Land (i) Land Disposal Inventory System and Monitoring System The HLS Division contributes to the setting up of the Land Disposal Inventory System to provide information on sites which are available or would be available for disposal. (ii) Monitoring System The HLS Division is actively involved in the inter-departmental Working Group on Information System on Housing Supply and Property Market. This Working Group monitors the progress of major housing projects, identify sources of new housing supply, and gives early warnings of any possible slippage or changes in development plans which may have significant impact on housing supply. (e) Housing Studies and Surveys i) Redevelopment Potential Study The HLS Division is currently managing a consultancy study on the "Comprehensive Assessment of the Redevelopment Potential in the Metro Areas" (REDPOTS). A model will be developed for assessing the level of redevelopment under various conditions. The study will identify areas with high redevelopment potential and examine ways by which the redevelopment constraints can be removed or reduced. The study is scheduled for completion in June 1996. ii) Consultancy Studies on Military Sites The consultancy study on the use and development intensities for three major military sites in Kowloon has commenced in March 1995. Another study of five military sites in the New Territories for residential development will commence in mid 1995. iii) Surveys Subject to availability of funds, surveys will be carried out to verify the parameters and working assumptions used in the housing model. This would improve the accuracy of the assessment in subsequent years. 8. Under the policy directive of the Housing Branch, the HLS Division of Planning Departments works closely with relevant departments in implementing i.e. Task Force's recommendations. In particular, i.e. Division is charged with the responsibility to achieve better forward planning for housing to avoid any future mismatch between the supply and demand of housing. INFORMATION 9. This paper is submitted for Members' information and for discussion, if necessary, at the meeting of i.e. Development Committee on 4 May 1995. ---0---0---0--- File Ref. : HD(CR) 55/201 III Date : 27 April 1995