置業主導美夢雖好 恐防現實不似預期

<轉載自2017年10月13日 明報 社評>

施政報告主打民生，房屋問題是重中之重。政府提出「首置上車盤」計劃以及「綠置居」、「白居二」恆常化，重建置業階梯，協助市民置業之心毋庸懷疑，惟前提是不能忽略等候「上樓」者和基層劏房戶的需要。港人視置業為確立中產身分地位、爭取向上流動的必然階梯，對置業的渴求深入骨髓。房屋政策回應社會期盼，鼓勵置業，本來無可厚非，然而現實往往不似預期，魔鬼總在細節裏，「首置盤」和「綠置居」恒常化必須從長計議，思慮不周隨時弄巧反拙。

促進社會和諧穩定 鼓勵置業無可厚非

解決本港房屋問題，釜底抽薪當然是增加土地供應，惟房屋發展策略同樣重要。理論上，安居樂業不一定要買樓置業，不過回歸現實，大多數港人都將置業與安居畫上等號，即使不是貪圖炒樓牟取暴利的市民，也希望「有樓在手」，因為物業本身就是重要財富，也是安享中產小康生活的入場券。房屋政策以置業為主導，某程度也只是反映社會實况。

行政長官林鄭月娥對「新加坡經驗」甚感興趣，而新加坡的房屋政策，正是以置業為主。誠然，經濟順逆有時，樓市有起有跌，但是只要樓價並非插水式暴瀉，鼓勵置業對於促進社會穩定，作用相當巨大。中產階級是社會和諧穩定的重要支柱，林太表示滿足市民置業需求，有助增加歸屬感，體現的正是這一政治硬道理，惟真正考驗是如何確保政策奏效，不會倒過來製造更多新矛盾新麻煩。

香港社會階層流動，與置業階梯密切關連，昔日「公屋—居屋—私樓」三級台階，市民有方法拾級而上，可是過去10年樓市發展高度扭曲，每層台階差距之大幾若斷崖，要跨越鴻溝愈益困難。現屆政府嘗試從三方面入手，在私樓與居屋之間添加「首置盤」，在公屋與居屋之間力谷「綠置居」，同時伙拍社企和房協等，為輪候公屋的基層市民提供過渡房屋。如果三方面的政策均馬到功成，應可重建整個房屋階梯，然而現實發展會否如此美好，仍然充滿懸念。

施政報告提出在觀塘安達臣道地皮率先試建「首置盤」，惟單位數量僅1000個，是否足以讓各界準確評估「首置盤」對重建置業階梯的效用，尚待觀察；至於最關鍵的定價等問題，也未見更多細節。「港人港地」失敗前車可鑑，無人擔保「首置盤」不會重蹈覆轍。「首置盤」定位在私樓與居屋之間，採取公私混合模式發展，土地來源包括私人發展商擁有的地皮，本應是合理構思，可是市民憂慮官商勾結，也是不容否認的事實。倘若官商合作合情合理，政府不應有太多思想包袱，一味陰謀論懷疑亦不足取，可是政府也必須思慮周全，說服公眾不會有利益輸送，否則政治因素隨時令計劃胎死腹中。

首置盤成敗難預測 綠置居吸引力難料

「綠置居」與「白居二」恆常化，目標是鼓勵基層置業，讓市民以顯著低於市價的金額，購買政府資助房屋，政府未來會將更多新建公屋轉作「綠置居」。當局希望公屋富戶購買「綠置居」，從而騰出公屋單位，讓苦候上樓的基層市民入住，加快公屋單位流轉。理論上，每售出一個「綠置居」單位，就會騰空一個公屋單位，即使將新建公屋轉作「綠置居」，可供基層市民輪候的公屋單位數目也不會受影響，况且透過「綠置居」騰空出來的公屋單位，遍佈市區和新界，意味輪候公屋人士能因應自身生活工作需要，有更多選擇。

不過政府的如意算盤是否一定打得響，卻是另一回事。置業考慮因素離不開地點位置、價錢和房屋質素。今時今日公屋質素優良，租金低廉，不少公屋富戶寧可交雙倍租，也無意交還單位，近年居屋綠表申請人數比以往少，正好反映問題。如果「綠置居」只是一般公屋質素，地理位置也不優越，就算價錢相宜，亦不一定能吸引到公屋富戶購買。政府對「綠置居」有信心，一大原因是首個「綠置居」項目新蒲崗景泰苑超額申請逾17倍，可是如果項目並非坐落市區，公屋富戶會否熱烈追捧，實屬疑問。萬一「綠置居」不受歡迎，雖然可以重新轉作公屋單位出租，惟政策折騰對市民難免有影響。政府必須從長計議，等待房委會完成檢討，衡量得失利弊，再作明智決定。

Housing policies outlined in policy address

THE policy address recently published puts a lot of emphasis on bread-and-butter issues, with the problem of housing taking precedence over any other matter. The pilot "Starter Home" scheme for first-time home buyers and the regularisation of the Green Form Subsidised Home Ownership Scheme (GSH) and the Interim Scheme of Extending the Home Ownership Scheme Secondary Market to White Form Buyers are all intended to rebuild the property ladder. They demonstrate the unquestionable determination of the government to help Hong Kong people buy their own flats. However, the needs of people who are waiting to buy their own flats and those living in subdivided flats must not be ignored.

To solve Hong Kong's housing problem once and for all, it is undoubtedly necessary to increase land supply. Equally important, however, is a strategy for housing development. Theoretically speaking, one does not need to have one's own flat to enjoy a good and prosperous life. But in reality, most Hong Kong people equate having a flat with a good and prosperous life. Even those ordinary citizens who do not play the property market to seek big gains want to have a flat registered in their name. After all, property is an important kind of asset. It is also the prerequisite to a middle-class life that is relatively well-off. That the housing policy is defined by the ownership of flats is, to a certain extent, a reflection of the situation in society.

Chief Executive Carrie Lam is very interested in the "Singaporean experience". In fact, the ownership of flats features prominently in Singapore's housing policy. It is true that economic activity often follows a cyclical pattern, while the property market often moves in an alternation of rises and falls. However, as long as property prices do not take a punishing nosedive, it is hugely beneficial to encourage flat ownership so as to promote social stability. The middle class is an important pillar of social harmony and stability. Lam said that by satisfying people's need to get on the property ladder, the government can help promote a sense of belonging. This is exactly the same principle as that guiding the Singaporean government. The real challenge is, however, how to ensure that the policies will work instead of creating new conflicts and troubles.

Hong Kong's social mobility has everything to do with the property ladder. In the past, the three-tier hierarchy made up of public housing, Home Ownership Scheme (HOS) flats and private flats enabled citizens to work their way up. But over the past ten years, the property market has been highly distorted, with the tiers steep like cliffs. This has made it increasingly hard to cross the unbridgeable gap. Now the government is trying to adopt a three-pronged approach and put pilot "Starter Home" scheme between private flats and HOS flats, and GSH flats between public housing and HOS flats. It is also partnering with social enterprises and the Hong Kong Housing Society to provide transitional housing for people on the waiting list for public housing. If the three-pronged approach takes off, it will reestablish the property ladder. But it is a moot point whether things will develop in such a way in reality.

Public housing today is of excellent quality, and tenants are charged an affordable rent. Many well-off tenants choose to pay a double amount of rent instead of returning their flats. This has exactly been shown by the decreasing applications for HOS flats through green application forms. If the flats under the GSH scheme are of normal quality and not in very convenient locations, they will not appeal to well-off tenants of public housing — even if sold at affordable prices. The government is confident about the GSH scheme mainly because the first GSH project at King Tai Court, San Po Kong was 17 times oversubscribed. However, it is questionable whether the project would still be in such huge demand were it not located in an urban area. It is true that if the GHS project turns out to be unpopular, it can still be turned into public housing units for sale. But citizens will still be affected by the reversal of policies. The government must give the matter further thought and discuss it later. It should wait for the Housing Authority to finish a review and weigh up the pros and cons before making a wise decision.

置業主導美夢雖好 恐防現實不似預期

施政報告主打民生，房屋問題是重中之重。政府提出「首置上車盤」計劃以及「綠置居」、「白居二」恒常化，重建置業階梯，協助市民置業之心毋庸懷疑，惟前提是不能忽略等候「上樓」者和基層劏房戶的需要。

解決本港房屋問題，釜底抽薪當然是增加土地供應，惟房屋發展策略同樣重要。理論上，安居樂業不一定要買樓置業，不過回歸現實，大多數港人都將置業與安居畫上等號，即使不是貪圖炒樓牟取暴利的市民，也希望「有樓在手」，因為物業本身就是重要財富，也是安享中產小康生活的入場券。房屋政策以置業為主導，某程度也只是反映社會實况。

行政長官林鄭月娥對「新加坡經驗」甚感興趣，而新加坡的房屋政策，正是以置業為主。誠然，經濟順逆有時，樓市有起有跌，但是只要樓價並非插水式暴瀉，鼓勵置業對於促進社會穩定，作用相當巨大。中產階級是社會和諧穩定的重要支柱，林太表示滿足市民置業需求，有助增加歸屬感，體現的正是這一政治硬道理，惟真正考驗是如何確保政策奏效，不會倒過來製造更多新矛盾新麻煩。

香港社會階層流動，與置業階梯密切關連，昔日「公屋—居屋—私樓」三級台階，市民有方法拾級而上，可是過去10年樓市發展高度扭曲，每層台階差距之大幾若斷崖，要跨越鴻溝愈益困難。現屆政府嘗試從三方面入手，在私樓與居屋之間添加「首置盤」，在公屋與居屋之間力谷「綠置居」，同時伙拍社企和房協等，為輪候公屋的基層市民提供過渡房屋。如果三方面的政策均馬到功成，應可重建整個房屋階梯，然而現實發展會否如此美好，仍然充滿懸念。

今時今日公屋質素優良，租金低廉，不少公屋富戶寧可交雙倍租，也無意交還單位，近年居屋綠表申請人數比以往少，正好反映問題。如果「綠置居」只是一般公屋質素，地理位置也不優越，就算價錢相宜，亦不一定能吸引到公屋富戶購買。政府對「綠置居」有信心，一大原因是首個「綠置居」項目新蒲崗景泰苑超額申請逾17倍，可是如果項目並非坐落市區，公屋富戶會否熱烈追捧，實屬疑問。萬一「綠置居」不受歡迎，雖然可以重新轉作公屋單位出租，惟政策折騰對市民難免有影響。政府必須從長計議，等待房委會完成檢討，衡量得失利弊，再作明智決定。