Hong Kong Housing Authority

The Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA; zh-tp|t=香港房屋委員會|p=Xiānggǎng Fángwū Wěiyuánhuì) is the main provider of public housing in Hong Kong. It was established in 1973 under the Housing Ordinance and is an agency of the Government of Hong Kong. In the same year, the Resettlement Department and the Building Section of the Urban Services Department were merged to form the Housing Department, which acts as the Housing Authority's executive body.

Responsibilities

Aside of public housing, HA is responsible for the management of public rental housing estates, interim housing estates, transit centers, flatted factories and ancillary commercial and non-domestic facilities such as shopping centers, market stalls and carparks. It also acts as the agent for the government when it comes to clearing land, as according to its own words "preventing squatting and implementing improvements in squatter areas." [ [http://www.housingauthority.gov.hk/en/aboutus/ha/0,,,00.html Hong Kong Housing Authority About Us page] ]

Composition

At the time of the creation, members of the HKHA were as followscite web
last = Hung | first = Edward | title = 'New' Housing Authority in for bigger responsibility
date = June 26, 1977 | publisher = "The Standard"
url= http://sunzi1.lib.hku.hk/newspaper/view/12_01.01/113631.pdf | accessdate = 2007-04-27 ] :
* Secretary of Housing (Chairman)
* 8 Urban Councillors
* 5 Unofficial members
* 6 Official members

Roles

The Authority operates the Tenants Purchase Scheme, the Home Ownership Scheme and the Private Sector Participation Scheme.

The Authority it operated a loan scheme for low income home buyers, which provided interest-free loans of up to HK$530,000 or monthly mortgage subsidies of up to HK$3,800 to help low-income individuals or families to buy their own flats.

More than 8,000 low-income families are subsidised, although the scheme was halted in 2003 pending a review. In June 2004, the definitive scrapping of the scheme was announced [ [http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=&art_id=5588&sid=&con_type=1&d_str=20040603&sear_year=2004 25,000 HA flats up for sale, but no more loans] , "The Standard", June 3, 2004] .

Location

The Hong Kong Housing Authority Headquarters are located at 33 Fat Kwong Street, Ho Man Tin, Kowloon. The Hong Kong Housing Authority Exhibition Centre is located nearby at 3/F, Homantin Plaza, 80 Fat Kwong Street.

See also

* Hong Kong Housing Society
* The Link REIT
* Public housing estate
* List of public housing estates in Hong Kong
* List of Home Ownership Scheme Courts in Hong Kong

References

External links

* [http://www.housingauthority.gov.hk/en Hong Kong Housing Authority website]
* [http://www.ionglobal.com/casestudy_hkha01.asp Hong Kong Housing Authority case study]