Latest news with #HousingMinister
South China Morning Post
3 days ago
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong to build more subsidised homes in I&T hub to meet middle-class demand
Hong Kong will build more subsidised homes in its new I&T hub near the border with mainland China to cater to the increasing needs of middle-class families and align with the city's strategy to attract top talent, the housing minister has said. Secretary for Housing Winnie Ho Wing-yin also outlined her plans to make public flats in the Northern Metropolis, where the San Tin Technopole innovation and technology (I&T) hub is located, more liveable by integrating them into nature and old villages. 'The technopole is a base camp for new productivity and industry. It is also a base camp for talent, whose requirements, income, affordability and standards for their children's education, among other things, will be higher,' she said on Wednesday last week. 'I think the proportion of subsidised sale homes would be adjusted higher to align with the area's position.' Hongkongers who fulfil asset and income requirements are able to apply for subsidised sale flats. The technopole is a flagship project in the Northern Metropolis, which aims to turn 30,000 hectares (74,132 acres) of land into an engine for economic growth and a housing hub with over 500,000 new flats, accommodating a population of about 2.5 million and around 650,000 jobs.
South China Morning Post
3 days ago
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
‘Avoid harsh labels for Hong Kong homes certified under subdivided flat regime'
Hong Kong should avoid negative labels for certified subdivided flats as they provide accommodation to people from all walks of life, the housing minister has said, while stressing that a planned shake-up of standards will not drive up rents. In an exclusive interview with the Post, Secretary for Housing Winnie Ho Wing-yin also said temporary flats were likely to continue serving residents in the future and form part of the city's housing ladder, but ruled out plans to further create a supply of starter homes for first-time buyers. Proposals to regulate the city's subdivided housing, which are notorious for their hygiene, safety and security hazards, are currently being scrutinised by the Legislative Council. Under the coming policy, subdivided flats that meet the official standards and are accredited as 'basic housing units' are allowed to remain on the rental market. 'We are giving a certification to basic housing units, which meet basic standards and are no longer inferior. I will not label them. They are simply choices made by different people at different times,' Ho said. She gave the reply to a question about whether authorities would prefer residents to leave such flats and move up the housing ladder.
BreakingNews.ie
08-07-2025
- Business
- BreakingNews.ie
Government's housing policies have left it ‘tied in regulatory knots'
The Housing Minister said that previous decisions on housing have left the Government 'tied in regulatory knots', making it 'extremely difficult' to build more homes. James Browne said he wants to clear away red tape and address 'viability issues', which he blames on delays in the housing system. Advertisement He made the comments as he brought plans to Cabinet to reduce the minimum size of apartments as part of major changes to building rules. Housing Minister James Browne (Brian Lawless/PA) The measures are designed to reduce costs by between €50,000 to €100,000 per unit. Speaking on his way into Cabinet on Tuesday, Mr Browne said that apartment building in Dublin has 'collapsed'. 'We've looked at the housing delivery from last year, it was certainly lower than we hoped, lower than we expected, and it was very disappointing,' he added. Advertisement 'I've analysed why is that the case and while housing delivery has been increasing, apartment delivery in Dublin city in particular has collapsed, and that means we don't have the apartments, whether it's for purchase or for rental, that families need, whether to be single people, families or older people to live in. 'Today, we're looking at that mix of apartments to ensure that they are more viable for people to be able to build and ultimately for people to be able to rent or purchase for their homes.' He added: 'I think over the last number of years, we've made a lot of decisions that I think were very good in isolation, with really good intentions, but when you add them up, what we've actually done is tied ourselves in regulatory knots, and it made it extremely difficult to actually deliver the homes that people need. 'You see the frustrations with local authorities. You see the frustrations with developers and builders and see the real frustration of families who I meet every single day of the week, who cannot get the homes that they need. Advertisement '(What) I'm trying to do is clear away the red tape as much as possible and also address the viability issues. 'We're going to do it by way of allowing a redesign in the internal envelope of the building without having to go back for new planning permission. 'So if there's a current planning permission, and there's up to 50,000 planning permissions for housing units or apartments across Dublin, you'll be able to change the internal mix without having to go back for planning permission. 'We won't see the delay that some people are afraid of in terms of maybe a developer going back for new planning permission.' Advertisement Taoiseach Micheál Martin said the changes in the rules around apartment building are 'significant'. He said it could reduce the costs by up to €100,000 per unit. 'When taken with the other measures that the minister has announced, we are making progress now in terms of viability question in terms of development of apartment units, particularly within cities,' Mr Martin said. 'Combined with measures like the planning decisions that he has taken in terms of enabling more zoning, the building blocks are being built now that will lead to a sustained improvement in terms of house construction and apartment building over a considerable period of time.' Advertisement Tánaiste Simon Harris said it was about balance. 'I think there's a rigidity that we brought into the system that really had seen the pentagon swing too far,' he said. 'Rigid building rules around apartments that are never built are no use to anybody, and we need to get supply going. 'The Minister for Housing is bringing forward proposals today to clarify how people are allocated a social home. I think it's really important that there is absolute legal clarity around this. 'You should not have an entitlement to a social house in Ireland if you don't have entitlement to social welfare in Ireland. Legislating for that, I think, is an important and welcome development.'
Irish Times
07-07-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
Apartment sizes Q&A: What are the planned changes in restrictions?
New guidelines to allow for smaller apartments and higher numbers of small units in individual developments are due to go to Cabinet on Tuesday. Minister for Housing James Browne will bring a memo to Cabinet outlining the changes, which are aimed at reducing the cost per unit and increasing the supply of apartments in urban areas. What are the current restrictions on apartment sizes and the mix of units in a development? The number of one-bedroom apartments or studios within any apartment scheme is currently restricted to 50 per cent, with no more than 25 per cent of the entire scheme allowed to be studios. The minimum floor area for a studio (one person) is 37sq m; 45sq m for a one-bed (two people) unit, 63sq m for a two-bed (three people) unit, 73sq m for a two-bed (four people) and 90sq m for a three-bed (five people) apartment. READ MORE There is also a requirement for more than 50 per cent of the units in any one scheme to exceed these minimum floor areas by 10 per cent. How will these change? First of all, there will be no restriction on the mix of apartment type within one scheme. In terms of floor area, the minimum size of a studio apartment will be reduced to 32sq m while a new standard for a three-bedroom, four-person apartment of 76sq m will be introduced. The other units will not change. The requirement for over 50 per cent of units any one scheme to to exceed these minimum floor areas by 10 per cent will change too, with that requirement reduced to 25 per cent of all units. Any other changes besides size? Yes – fewer windows and lifts and less private open space. The current guidelines stipulate that 33 per cent of apartments in urban areas and 50 per cent in suburban areas must be 'dual aspect'. What does dual aspect mean you might ask? A dual-aspect dwelling is defined as one with openable windows on two external walls, which may be either on opposite sides of a dwelling or on adjacent sides of a dwelling where the external walls of a dwelling wrap around the corner of a building. Under the new guidelines, just 25 per cent of apartments in any scheme – urban or suburban – will have to be dual aspect. In terms of lifts, the current guidelines limit the number of units that can be provided per lift core to a maximum of 12 units. The new guidelines remove any limitation on the number of units per lift and stair core per floor, subject to compliance with building regulations. There will be no change to the sizes of balconies or private open spaces, but the number of them may be reduced where a communal open space is provided instead or where the value of that private space is negligible due to noise pollution. Some local authorities require communal spaces in their development plans, based on the size of the development. The new guidelines stipulate that these spaces will not be required on a mandatory threshold basis. When will these new guidelines be enforced? Local planning authorities will receive a circular letter when the guidelines are issued, and they will apply to all planning decisions made on applications lodged after the 2025 guidelines come into force.
Sky News
04-07-2025
- Business
- Sky News
Leaseholders to get rights to more easily challenge extortionate service charges
Why you can trust Sky News Leaseholders will be able to more easily challenge extortionate service charges, the government has said. For those who are trapped in the midst of the leasehold scandal, the reforms cannot come soon enough. They have been promised change for many years by successive governments and by Labour in opposition, so any progress will be welcome, but is it enough for those suffering financially? It's a complex problem but at the heart of it are service charges that go higher and higher in a way that is often inexplicable, unpredictable and opaque. These are fees for building services and maintenance that are on top of the homeowner's mortgage. They often run into thousands of pounds, go way over the initial estimate and it is not clear why they are so high. By forcing companies to be transparent about the fees they are charging, the government is hoping to tackle this. The reforms, which the government has said it will push through after a consultation, will receive standardised service charge documentation which spell out clear and detailed information about how their service charges are calculated and spent. Further reforms will stop leaseholders having to automatically pay for landlords' litigation costs even where they have won their case. According to housing minister Matthew Pennycook, the changes will enable homeowners to challenge unreasonable charges more easily. He also believes it will put pressure on managing agents to bring fees down. The government will also introduce a strict new qualification regime for managing agents to try to raise standards in the sector. Mr Pennycook told Sky News: "The system has some inherent inequities in it that do allow leaseholders to be gouged and particularly when it comes to managing agents there are unscrupulous people out there. "They are abusing leaseholders and there's poor practice. "The reforms we are announcing today and reforms that are to come are going to bear down managing agents and ensure the sector as a whole is properly regulated." Asked why it has taken a year to make this announcement, and why further changes could take much longer, he said: "We've got to take forward through primary legislation the wider reforms necessary to bring the system to an end. "You can't do that in 100 days but we are also determined to provide relief to existing leaseholders now."
