The primary role of the Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA) is to provide subsidized public rental housing (PRH) to low income families who cannot afford private rental accommodations. It also runs interim housing (IH) and transit centres to provide temporary accommodations to families facing short-term difficulties in finding suitable accommodations.
Following the Government's repositioned housing policy, the HA has withdrawn from the provision of home ownership assistance schemes. It also listed the Link Real Estate Investment Trust on the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong in November 2005 to divest itself of 180 retail and car parking facilities in PRH estates.
As of September 2006[1], the HA provided 686 500 PRH / IH flats for 2 005 700 persons, or 29% of Hong Kong's total population.
As of December 2006, the membership of the HA comprises four official members and 29 non-official members. Appointments are made by the Chief Executive. The Secretary for Housing, Planning and Lands has been appointed as the Chairman to help forge closer collaboration between the Authority and the Government in the provision of housing services. The Director of Housing has been appointed as the Vice-chairman. The non-official members are appointed for a term of two years and are eligible for re-appointment.
Six standing committees, together with a number of sub-committees / ad hoc committee, have been formed under the HA to formulate and oversee policies in specified areas.
Chart 1: Organization of the Housing Authority
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Housing Authority
Housing Department
The Housing Department (HD) acts as the executive arm of the HA in implementing its policies and those set by its standing committees. The HD is headed by the Permanent Secretary for Housing, Planning and Lands (Housing) who also assumes the office of the Director of Housing. He is supported by four Deputy Directors who are responsible for policy formulation and overseeing their implementation. As of 1 December 2006, the HD had a strength of 8 692 staff, of which 7 620 were civil servants and 1 072 were contract staff.
Chart 2: Organization of the Housing Department |
