Hong Kong reserves 4,000 homes for tenants hit by subdivided flats overhaul

Hong Kong authorities have pledged to reserve nearly a fifth of the city’s 21,000 transitional homes for tenants displaced by a new law regulating subdivided flats, with the housing chief downplaying concerns about a potential wave of evictions under the policy.Secretary for Housing Winnie Ho Wing-yin offered the assurance on Sunday after more than 100 households at Yee Wa Building on Un Chau Street in Cheung Sha Wan were forced to relocate, as landlords sought to convert the flats to meet the minimum living standards under the Basic Housing Units Ordinance.Under new legislation effective next month, owners of subdivided flats must register their properties and meet specific requirements to transition into licensed basic housing homes.“[Owners] should register first; even if you know [your flats] are far below standard. It does not matter, as we will not take enforcement action in the first year,” Ho said in a televised interview.“Once you register, I will grant a three-year grace period; with three years plus one year for registration, that is a total of four years, which is absolutely enough time for everyone to handle different problems.”Secretary for Housing Winnie Ho says transitional housing had consistently proven its value as a buffer during emergencies, such as the deadly blaze in Tai Po last November. Photo: Jonathan WongShe said authorities had deployed six service teams to assist more than 100 displaced households at Yee Wa Building and that most had already been contacted.