房屋供應面臨斷層 造地不容繼續蹉跎

 <轉載自2020年9月7日 明報 社評>

本港土地房屋供應持續落後，疫下更有進一步惡化之勢，房委會資助房屋小組前主席黃遠輝擔心，短中期約800公頃土地短缺，無望及時在2026年填補。土地專責小組報告提交超過一年半，政府覓地建屋，迄今未有重大突破，許多項目都未能上馬，收地工作困難重重，公私營合作只聞樓梯響，公屋輪候時間愈來愈長，看不到當局有意志和決心，克服政治障礙追落後。未來數年，本港公營房屋面臨「斷層」，覓地建屋不能再拖，下月發表的施政報告，必須拿出切實方法處理。

土地報告出爐年半 覓地建屋舉步維艱

10多年前港府奉行勾地政策，未再積極造地，土地供應實際由私人把持，近兩屆政府雖有改變之心，卻未見有何法寶。曾幾何時，深圳房地產發展，主要師法香港，結果也出現了「重市場、輕保障」的情况，深圳樓價位居內地之首，人均居住面積300平方呎，未達內地最低標準線。近年深圳改弦易轍「捨港取星」，上月深圳市領導表示，新加坡處理房屋問題，是深圳學習的榜樣，未來當局將大幅下調私人房屋比例，目標是六成市民住在公屋或資助房屋中。反觀香港，土地房屋問題積重難返，政府亦缺乏克服困難的魄力。

今年的《長遠房屋策略》報告，尚有3個月左右便出爐，外界關注10年房屋單位供應目標會否再調低、公營房屋供應缺口會否再擴大，觀乎當局近月一系列數字，情况未許樂觀。政府更新未來5年公營房屋預測建屋量，2024/25年度，預計房委會僅建成5500個公屋及綠置居單位，數字是回歸以來最低。房屋署的數字則顯示，目前公屋輪候冊累計有近26萬宗申請，平均輪候時間升至5.5年。除了覓地及平整土地長期大落後，疫情導致工程延誤，亦對房屋供應造成影響。公營房屋供求面臨「斷層」，政府造地缺乏進展，豈能不叫人憂心。

現屆政府上台後，成立土地供應專責小組，就覓地建屋出謀獻策凝聚共識。小組提交報告，至今超過一年半，可是造地工作迄今未見多少實質進展。報告建議政府優先推行8項增加土地供應選項，包括加快發展新界棕地和私人農地、中部水域填海興建人工島、維港以外近岸填海、重新規劃屯門內河碼頭用地、收回私人遊樂場所契約用地等，然而各個選項的落實進度都相當緩慢。以「明日大嶼」人工島計劃為例，規劃研究撥款仍未獲得立法會財委會通過，整個發展計劃最少延遲兩年；屯門龍鼓灘近岸填海，以及有關內河碼頭用地的建議，在立法會長期半癱瘓下，未知何時才有機會提上議事日程。

加快發展新界棕地，社會雖有共識，可是實際執行依舊困難重重。以元朗橫洲發展為例，重新安置棕地作業者和村民的問題遲遲未解決，部分人之前主張「先棕後綠」，現在又大聲疾呼「不遷不拆」。政府提出「土地共享先導計劃」，盼以公私營合作模式釋放私人土地，今年5月開始接受申請，迄今未有成功個案，發展商有查詢無下文。市民未見政府積極引用《收回土地條例》，處理覓地建屋問題，至於優先收回粉嶺高球場32公頃土地建屋，進度亦比不少市民想像為慢。土地小組報告指出，2026年，本港土地供應面臨815公頃缺口，以現時的造地進度，看不到有及時填補的可能。

民生問題不應政治化 施政報告須果斷進取

前土地小組主席黃遠輝關注，政府覓地建屋力度不足，速度亦不夠快，許多項目都未能上馬，公營房屋供求落差只會愈拉愈大。最近政府在批准改劃土地用途建屋方面，似乎較以往「鬆手」，九龍城廣場改建為住宅，談了20年，早前終獲城規會批出改劃申請；一些發展商希望將旗下貨倉重建為住宅項目，亦得到規劃署放行；然而若不加快大舉造地，徒靠改劃土地用途，不過是杯水車薪。過去一年多，香港飽歷政治風雨，疫下民生困頓凋敝，私樓價格依然居高不下，突顯本港房屋供應嚴重不足，中產供樓負擔沉重，政府亦未能提供足夠公營房屋，滿足中下層市民基本居住需要。

有恆產者有恆心，普羅大眾無法安居，社會難望長治久安，香港很難絕處逢生。本港土地房屋問題不斷惡化，已屆危急存亡之秋，所有人都要面對現實，政府必須拿出決心，大刀闊斧造地建屋，無論收回土地建屋，還是填海造地建立土地儲備，當局必須更加果斷進取，不能再優柔寡斷，下月施政報告，政府必須提出一套切實可行的「追落後」藍圖，加快覓地建屋速度。與此同時，社會上下亦須明白，土地房屋危機迫在眉睫，不能一味空談理念理想，事事政治化，只會令重大民生問題更難解決。

A gap in housing supply

LAND AND HOUSING remain in short supply in Hong Kong, and the situation seems to be further deteriorating amid the pandemic. Stanley Wong, former chairman of the Hong Kong Housing Authority's Subsidised Housing Committee, has expressed worry that the shortfall of about 800 hectares of land in the short and medium term cannot be covered by 2026. Since the Report of the Task Force on Land Supply was submitted more than one and a half years ago, not much progress has been made in finding land and putting up housing. Many projects have yet to be initiated, and the government has run into a lot of difficulties with land requisition. Furthermore, the so-called public-private partnership is all sizzle and no steak and the waiting time for public housing is getting longer and longer. Citizens do not see that the Hong Kong government has the will and determination to overcome political obstacles and make up for lost time. Over the following years, public housing supply is facing a ''gap''. Looking for land to put up housing is a task that can no longer be delayed. The Hong Kong government needs to figure out a practical solution to this problem in next month's policy address.

In recent years, the Shenzhen government has changed course to hold up Singapore as a role model and dismiss Hong Kong. Last month, a Shenzhen top official said that how Singapore is dealing with housing issues is a model for Shenzhen to learn from. In the future, the Shenzhen authorities will slash the proportion of private housing substantially and the target is to let 60% of citizens live in public or subsidised housing. In contrast, the land and housing problem in Hong Kong is a long-standing malady. The government lacks the will to cope with the difficulties.

According to the figures released by the Housing Department, there is an accumulation of nearly 260 thousand applications for public housing, and the average waiting time has climbed to 5.5 years. Apart from significant delays in finding land and making it ready for housing, the pandemic has also caused construction delays, affecting the housing supply. After the current administration took office, it established the Task Force on Land Supply, which was tasked with advising the government on finding land and putting up housing as well as finding the greatest consensus in society. It has been over a year and a half since the Task Force submitted its report. However, not much real progress has been made in increasing land resources. The report suggests that the government should prioritise eight options for increasing land supply, including the acceleration of the development of brownfield sites in the New Territories and private agricultural land, artificial islands in the central waters and so on. However, all of these options are being implemented quite slowly.

Over the past year, Hong Kong has been caught up in much political turbulence, and people have been living in difficulty and destitution amid the pandemic. In spite of this, however, private housing prices remain high, reflecting the serious shortage in housing supply. The burden is heavy on middle-class people who have to repay their mortgages. The government has been incapable of providing enough public housing to satisfy the basic housing needs of people of lower social strata.

Those who have a piece of land can have their peace of mind. If ordinary people cannot live without worry in their own homes, it will be difficult for society to remain peaceful and Hong Kong to survive the immense difficulties. The land and housing problem has been worsening. It has reached a critical point. All people must face the reality. The government must muster its determination to find land and build housing in a vigorous manner. No matter whether it is requisitioning land to build housing or reclaiming land from the sea to build land reserves, the government needs to act decisively and aggressively rather than act in a wishy-washy manner. At the same time, society as a whole needs to realise that the housing crisis is imminent and citizens should not care about ideals only. Politicising every issue will only make important bread-and-butter issues harder to solve.

房屋供應面臨斷層 造地不容繼續蹉跎

本港土地房屋供應持續落後，疫下更有進一步惡化之勢，房委會資助房屋小組前主席黃遠輝擔心，短中期約800公頃土地短缺，無望及時在2026年填補。土地專責小組報告提交超過一年半，政府覓地建屋，迄今未有重大突破，許多項目都未能上馬，收地工作困難重重，公私營合作只聞樓梯響，公屋輪候時間愈來愈長，看不到當局有意志和決心，克服政治障礙追落後。未來數年，本港公營房屋面臨「斷層」，覓地建屋不能再拖，下月發表的施政報告，必須拿出切實方法處理。

近年深圳改弦易轍「捨港取星」，上月深圳市領導表示，新加坡處理房屋問題，是深圳學習的榜樣，未來當局將大幅下調私人房屋比例，目標是六成市民住在公屋或資助房屋中。反觀香港，土地房屋問題積重難返，政府亦缺乏克服困難的魄力。

房屋署的數字則顯示，目前公屋輪候冊累計有近26萬宗申請，平均輪候時間升至5.5年。除了覓地及平整土地長期大落後，疫情導致工程延誤，亦對房屋供應造成影響。現屆政府上台後，成立土地供應專責小組，就覓地建屋出謀獻策凝聚共識。小組提交報告，至今超過一年半，可是造地工作迄今未見多少實質進展。報告建議政府優先推行8項增加土地供應選項，包括加快發展新界棕地和私人農地、中部水域填海興建人工島等，然而各個選項的落實進度都相當緩慢。

過去一年多，香港飽歷政治風雨，疫下民生困頓凋敝，私樓價格依然居高不下，突顯本港房屋供應嚴重不足，中產供樓負擔沉重，政府亦未能提供足夠公營房屋，滿足中下層市民基本居住需要。

有恆產者有恆心，普羅大眾無法安居，社會難望長治久安，香港很難絕處逢生。本港土地房屋問題不斷惡化，已屆危急存亡之秋，所有人都要面對現實，政府必須拿出決心，大刀闊斧造地建屋，無論收回土地建屋，還是填海造地建立土地儲備，當局必須更加果斷進取，不能再優柔寡斷。與此同時，社會上下亦須明白，土地房屋危機迫在眉睫，不能一味空談理念理想，事事政治化，只會令重大民生問題更難解決。