Secretary for Housing Winnie Ho has exchanged views on public housing policies, people-oriented design, innovative construction technologies and smart property management, with Mainland officials while on a visit to Hangzhou.

Upon arriving in the city yesterday evening, Ms Ho visited the Hangzhou National Archives of Publications & Culture, a major cultural landmark, to learn about its unique architectural structure and the application of building information modelling in its construction.

 
Ms Ho today met Ministry of Housing & Urban-Rural Development (MOHURD) Chief Economist Cao Jinbiao, who travelled from Beijing. She then attended the inaugural Mainland & Hong Kong Housing Forum alongside officials from MOHURD and Zhejiang’s Department of Housing & Urban-Rural Development.

 
Ms Ho mentioned that at a meeting with Housing & Urban-Rural Development Minister Ni Hong in Beijing last year, the two sides discussed organising various meetings with a view to improving citizens’ housing and living standards. 

She added that the Hangzhou meeting afforded an opportunity for in-depth exchanges and the sharing of experiences between Beijing, Hangzhou and Hong Kong on topics such as smart construction, smart property management, community building, and housing policies.
 

Ms Ho also outlined that the current-term Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government has been pursuing policies to increase the supply of public housing to provide accommodation for grassroots families.
 

In addition to traditional public rental housing, construction work on a number of Government-led Light Public Housing (LPH) projects has already commenced at full speed. Ms Ho noted that the intake for the first batch of about 2,100 units is tentatively scheduled for the first quarter of next year, adding that there is a target of completing around 30,000 LPH units by 2027-28. 

Ms Ho exchanged views with MOHURD officials on the application of technologies such as modular integrated construction and multi-trade integrated mechanical, electrical and plumbing in the construction and management of buildings. 
 

They also discussed how to expand the adoption of various construction robots in public housing projects to enhance construction efficiency, safety and quality.
 

In addition, Ms Ho outlined the Housing Bureau’s efforts to improve the well-being of citizens and enhance the quality of housing supply. She explained that the Housing Department has been collecting views from residents, stakeholders and professionals with a view to formulating a “Well-being design” guide that can be used in the planning and design of new public housing projects.
 

She added that the department is working to improve the open space provided in existing housing estates and carry out minor improvement works.
 

The two parties also exchanged views on property management in Hong Kong and the Mainland, particularly with regard to enhancing management efficiency through the use of technology.
 

Ms Ho outlined the department’s efforts to enhance the management efficiency and service quality of nearly 200 public housing estates.
 

The housing chief will continue her visit to Hangzhou tomorrow and depart for Beijing later in the day.