Exploited right to housing: a critical review on Hong Kong housing problems

Abstract

Housing issue is a serious problem in Hong Kong. The rights to housing in Hong Kong are exploited. The problem was due to an unjust land-use planning. Hong Kong was claimed to have insufficient land supply but it was not the truth. The government holds the land that was sufficient to solve the housing problems. Another cause was the domination of the property developers. They have the power to influence the market and the policy formulation. They hoard the land and drive up the market prices. I would adopt the Jenkins’ System Model for Policy Process to analyze this issue in details. In order to tackle the problems, the government should re-establish rent control to secure the right to housing of the people. The government should also develop temporary housing units to solve the short-term housing needs. Besides, the government should also exercise the rights to take the land back from property developers and stop granting privilege to the native people. Most importantly, the government should take the responsibility to secure the rights to housing in Hong Kong.