Page 39 - URA Annual Report 2020-21

Policy Address Initiatives
Starter Homes Projects
In the 2019 Policy Address, the Government entrusted the URA with a new mission to provide more Starter Homes (SH) or other types of subsidised sale flats in light of the experience of eResidence. The URA has identified a redevelopment project at Chun Tin Street/Sung Chi Street (KC-008(A)) in the vicinity as Phase Two of eResidence to provide about 260 SH units. Besides, the URA will provide about 2,000 SH units arising from the redevelopment of Tai Hang Sai Estate which will be taken forward in collaboration with The Hong Kong Settlers Housing Corporation Limited (HKSHCL).
Joint Redevelopment of Tai Hang Sai Estate with HKSHCL
In March 2021, with the Government’s coordination and facilitation, the HKSHCL and URA signed a memorandum of understanding to jointly take forward the redevelopment of Tai Hang Sai Estate, an initiative announced by the Chief Executive in the 2020 Policy Address aiming to increase flat supply and improve the estate facilities. Doubling the existing number of 1,600 flats, a total of 3,300 new flats will be provided after redevelopment, of which 1,300 units will be allotted for rehousing the existing tenants by HKSHCL and the remaining 2,000 units will be assigned as SH units by the URA. Working in conjunction with HKSHCL, the URA will prepare a fresh planning application for a higher plot ratio design to optimise housing supply and target for submission to the TPB in the third quarter of 2021.
The aerial view of Tai Hang Sai Estate
The artist impression of the transitional housing project in Hung Shui Kiu
Assisting NGOs in Developing Transitional Housing
In 2019 Policy Address, the Government invited the URA to provide professional advice and project management support to assist NGOs in developing transitional housing, so as to relieve the pressure of families living in unpleasant conditions and those who have been waiting for public rental housing for a long time. In early 2020, the URA Board approved to provide project management services for NGOs based on a fee scale covering the cost incurred for carrying out engineering assessments and planning submissions for the Hung Shui Kiu (HSK) site and Ta Kwu Ling (TKL) site under section 16 of the Town Planning Ordinance. Planning consultancy services for these two transitional housing projects commenced in June 2020. The planning application for the HSK site was submitted to the TPB in June 2021. As for the TKL site, the draft planning application was submitted to the Transport and Housing Bureau (THB) in October 2020. A meeting with Ta Kwu Ling District Rural Committee and THB was held in May 2021 and further studies are being carried out to address their comment.
‘Single Site, Multiple Uses’ for NGO Sites
As announced in the 2019 Policy Address, in order to leverage the URA’s experience in providing facilitating services for private building owners, the Government has invited the URA to offer consultancy and facilitating services to NGOs who intend to redevelop community facilities on their sites, and to take the opportunity to introduce mixed residential, education and welfare uses under the ‘Single Site, Multiple Uses’ model. A facilitation scheme was launched in January 2021, in which the URA acts as a consultant to facilitate NGOs to optimise their under-utilised sites by providing planning and technical support with a view to maximising the development potential of the NGO sites. Besides, the URA will also help coordinate comments from Government departments. As at 30 June 2021, enquiries from 28 NGOs were received and two of them have submitted their Expressions of Interest.
URA ANNUAL REPORT 2020-21 35
Operating Review Corporate Sustainability Management Discussion and Analysis Projects at a Glance Corporate Governance