劏房有良心 政府須上心

<轉載自2017年9月4日 明報 社評>

運輸及房屋局長陳帆上任後，提出「良心劏房」、「同屋共住」概念，結合民間力量，以低於市值的租金，向基層市民出租單位，初步反應理想，據悉當局手上已有數百個單位，預料最快本月可以公布計劃具體內容。「良心劏房」試驗性質濃厚，區區數百個單位，當然不可能應付全港近10萬劏房戶的需要，然而總算是一個好嘗試，關鍵是確保計劃可持續下去，一邊吸引更多良心業主加入，一邊確保租金水平切合基層市民負擔能力。政府亦應考慮更多中短期措施，為正在輪候公屋的市民提供過渡房屋。

「良心劏房」掀迴響 計劃須縝密周詳

根據「良心劏房」構思，政府將協助社福機構把空置舊樓單位改建成符合安全衛生標準的合法劏房，廉價出租給基層家庭。過去兩個月，政府一直與良心業主、發展商和市建局商討，騰出單位交予社福機構營辦，至於社聯和社協等非政府組織也積極配合。據悉政府有意委託社聯作為中介機構，統籌這項大規模的「同屋共住」計劃，社協則表示已有數十位業主響應，提供近百個單位，反映不少小業主都有善心，希望盡一點綿力，向基層家庭伸出援手。

公屋平均輪候時間近5年，不少基層市民未能「上樓」，只能寄居劣質劏房，居住環境惡劣，租金也不便宜。提供短期過渡房屋，協助他們改善生活環境，是政府應有之義。今次政府帶頭推動劏房租賃，據悉暫時已物色到數百個單位，當中除了有小業主提供的單位，也包括市建局安置大廈一些空置單位，以及發展商準備重建、正在等待拆卸的空置樓宇，面積最大的單位約有600方呎。雖然單位數目杯水車薪，不過當局能夠拋開思想包袱，大膽採納民間意見伙拍社企行事，態度值得肯定，莫因善小而不為。設若計劃能夠有一個好開始，喚起更多良心業主響應，聚沙成塔的效用不應低估。政府當前要務是確保計劃能夠盡快上軌道，由釐定租金水平到協助社企籌錢裝修營運，構思必須縝密周詳。

有基層市民稱，市面一個需要共用廚廁的單位，月租最便宜大概3000多元。就算當局提供的「合租單位」質素較好，空間較大，如果月租要4000多元，對於一些基層家庭來說，仍然不容易負擔。較早前，市建局將租金水平定於應課差餉租值五成，將一批閒置單位租予社聯兩年，用來經營過渡房屋。社聯邀請社福機構負責營運，可是一些有意參與計劃的機構擔心，為了支付應課差餉租值五成的租金和行政費，最終單位放租價錢可能要定在市值租金六成以上水平，要基層家庭支付超過5000元租金，並不容易，可見「同屋共住」計劃要取得成功，必須確保租金水平合理，基層家庭能夠負擔。以市值租金一半，又或參考綜援租金津貼上限去釐定租金水平，是較為合理的做法。

增加過渡房屋供應 為劏房戶尋找出路

另外，政府亦必須為「良心劏房」定出合理面積標準，並決定怎樣協助社福機構籌集資金翻新單位。與私人劏房比較，「良心劏房」必須提供一個較為舒適的居住環境，當局應當為「良心劏房」定出人均居住面積指標。目前私人劏房的人均居住空間為5.8平方米（62.4平方呎），「良心劏房」的標準理應定得較高，作為社企裝修單位的參考準繩。由於政府表明不會直接為「良心劏房」注資，因此社福機構如何應付大筆裝修費用，是一大問題。現時社福機構主要透過眾籌或向民間基金會申請資助，要籌募數千萬元翻新目前的數百個單位，本身已有一定難度，倘若當局未來有意擴大計劃規模，實有必要好好設想長遠資金來源。

目前全港估計有接近20萬人居於劏房，苦候「上樓」，長遠來說，政府當然必須興建更多資助房屋，不過為了中短期協助基層家庭改善居住環境，政府也必須提出一套全面的過渡房屋策略，「良心劏房」也許可以博得一時掌聲，然而不足以解決問題。近年民間團體提出不少構思，希望增加過渡房屋供應，有人提倡善用閒置校舍安置劏房戶，也有人提議參考歐洲貨櫃屋的經驗，改裝貨櫃為低成本的組合式過渡房屋。當然並非每項構思都一定切實可行，可是政府有責任探索更多方法，為數以萬計劏房戶尋找出路。

Government's conscientiousness is key to conscionable subdivided flats scheme

FRANK CHAN, the Secretary for Transport and Housing, proposed the ideas of "conscionable subdivided flats" and "co-housing" after he was sworn into office. His view is that our civil society should make a concerted effort to lease out units to people from lower social strata at rents lower than market values. The idea has got off to a good start, as it is understood that the government already possesses several hundred units and is expected to announce the plan in detail before the end of this month.

Under the "conscionable subdivided flats" proposal, the government helps social welfare institutions turn vacant units in old buildings into legally subdivided units that meet safety and hygiene standards. These subdivided flats will then be leased to families of lower social strata. Over the past two months, the government has been discussing, with big-hearted property owners, property developers and the Urban Renewal Authority (URA), how units can be freed up and handed over to social welfare institutions. Non-government organisations, such as the HKCSS and the HKSWA, have also been playing an active role. It is understood that the government intends to commission the HKCSS to act as a go-between and coordinate the big "co-housing" project. As for the HKSWA, it says that dozens of property owners have heeded the call and altogether offered nearly a hundred units. This shows that many ordinary property owners are good Samaritans — they want to give a helping hand to families of lower social strata.

With the average waiting time for public housing being nearly five years, many people of lower social strata have not been able to have their own flats and have had no choice but to live in subdivided flats with poor living conditions that charge high rents. The government has an obligation to provide temporary housing for these people to enhance their living environment. The government has this time taken the lead to operate subdivided flats. It is understood that several hundred units (including those provided by ordinary property owners, vacant units in Rehousing Blocks under the URA, and vacant buildings pending demolition and reconstruction by developers) are now in place, which the biggest one being around 600 square feet in area. While this number is negligible when compared to the overall situation, that the government is willing to put aside old mindsets, boldly accept views from our civil society and cooperate with social enterprises demonstrates a commendable attitude — it has chosen to do a good deed even though it does not count for much. If the plan has a good start, many more property owners could follow in the footsteps, in which case we should not underestimate the multiplying effect. "Many a little makes a mickle," as the saying goes. The government's top priority now is to ensure that the plan will get on track as soon as possible. Every part of the plan, from setting rent levels to helping social institutions raise money to renovate and operate the units, necessitates careful planning.

It is estimated that nearly 200,000 people are now living in subdivided units waiting to live in their own flats. In the long term, the government of course has to build more subsidised housing. But in the short and medium term, the government must also come up with a comprehensive transitional housing strategy to help improve the living environment of people from lower social strata. The "conscionable subdivided units" scheme might win the government several rounds of applause, but it will prove inadequate to solve the problem. In recent years, different community groups have proposed different ideas in the hope of increasing transitional housing supply. Some advocate the use of idle school buildings to accommodate tenants of subdivided flats. Some propose turning containers into low-cost, modular and transitional units. No doubt not every proposition is viable. But the government has a responsibility to explore more options so as to find a way out for tens of thousands of subdivided flat tenants.

劏房有良心 政府須上心

運輸及房屋局長陳帆上任後，提出「良心劏房」、「同屋共住」概念，結合民間力量，以低於市值的租金，向基層市民出租單位，初步反應理想，據悉當局手上已有數百個單位，預料最快本月可以公布計劃具體內容。

根據「良心劏房」構思，政府將協助社福機構把空置舊樓單位改建成符合安全衛生標準的合法劏房，廉價出租給基層家庭。過去兩個月，政府一直與良心業主、發展商和市建局商討，騰出單位交予社福機構營辦，至於社聯和社協等非政府組織也積極配合。據悉政府有意委託社聯作為中介機構，統籌這項大規模的「同屋共住」計劃，社協則表示已有數十位業主響應，提供近百個單位，反映不少小業主都有善心，希望盡一點綿力，向基層家庭伸出援手。

公屋平均輪候時間近5年，不少基層市民未能「上樓」，只能寄居劣質劏房，居住環境惡劣，租金也不便宜。提供短期過渡房屋，協助他們改善生活環境，是政府應有之義。今次政府帶頭推動劏房租賃，據悉暫時已物色到數百個單位，當中除了有小業主提供的單位，也包括市建局安置大廈一些空置單位，以及發展商準備重建、正在等待拆卸的空置樓宇，面積最大的單位約有600方呎。雖然單位數目杯水車薪，不過當局能夠拋開思想包袱，大膽採納民間意見伙拍社企行事，態度值得肯定，莫因善小而不為。設若計劃能夠有一個好開始，喚起更多良心業主響應，聚沙成塔的效用不應低估。政府當前要務是確保計劃能夠盡快上軌道，由釐定租金水平到協助社企籌錢裝修營運，構思必須縝密周詳。

目前全港估計有接近20萬人居於劏房，苦候「上樓」，長遠來說，政府當然必須興建更多資助房屋，不過為了中短期協助基層家庭改善居住環境，政府也必須提出一套全面的過渡房屋策略，「良心劏房」也許可以博得一時掌聲，然而不足以解決問題。近年民間團體提出不少構思，希望增加過渡房屋供應，有人提倡善用閒置校舍安置劏房戶，也有人提議參考歐洲貨櫃屋的經驗，改裝貨櫃為低成本的組合式過渡房屋。當然並非每項構思都一定切實可行，可是政府有責任探索更多方法，為數以萬計劏房戶尋找出路。