Residential apartments are seen under Ma On Shan peak in Hong Kong, China on August 29, 2017. REUTERS Bobby YIP File Photo Bobby Yip Reters Bobby Yip Flash
HK said it would launch a research project on Thursday to solve a chronic housing shortage and sky-high home prices in one of the most expensive property markets.
As part of the initiative, New World said a committee would study elderly housing issues, ranging from poor prices, long waiting times for public housing and a lack of unaffordable homes as the population ages.
The solution of Hong Kong's future housing problem is fundamental to the city’s deep-rooted growth, said Adrian Cheng, chief executive of New World and Chairman of the initiative, New World Build for Good.
We are committed to working with all parties in search of new solutions that will benefit more people. The creation of a house is a priority for all of Hong Kong's leaders since the first British colony returned in 1997 to Chinese rule, although the prospect of owning a home is a distant dream for many.
After the report, shares of Hong Kong's four major developers, CK Asset 1113. HK dropped, analysts citing market worries about potential regulation curbing their growth.
The Hong Kong government leader Carrie Lam later said that solving the former British colony's housing shortage and increasing land supply would be key priorities for the government. Beijing has partly blamed the conglomerates for the city's housing woes, which it believes played a big role in stirring discontent with the government and fuelling pro-democracy protests in 2019.