Secretary for Housing believes no large-scale evictions due to Basic Housing Units Ordinance

With the Basic Housing Units Ordinance set to come into effect next month, Secretary for Housing Winnie Ho noted on a TVB News programme that she believes there would not be any large-scale eviction incidents as a result of the measure.

She added that a portion of urban basic housing units, or BHUs, will be reserved for emergency use.

Under the Basic Housing Ordinance, subdivided flats must first undergo a registration process and fulfill specific requirements before transitioning into BHUs.

Speaking on a TVB News programme, Secretary for Housing Winnie Ho noted that besides the recent case of some 100 subdivided flat tenants being evicted from Cheung Sha Wan's Yee Wah Building due to its BHU transition, authorities have yet to receive similar calls for assistance.

This as she said the government received a total of around 200 inquiries on the policy.

When we designed this new basic housing unit regulation, we have purposely built in a long time (grace period).

The first year after the legislation is in action, on the 1st of March, we have allowed one full year for them to register first.

We will not do our enforcement even if the situation doesn't fulfill the long-term basic housing unit requirements.

We allow them to come for the first year, whatever condition they are in, to register first.

Once they register, we give them a three-year grace period.

With the measure, subdivided flat tenants can apply for transitional housing as Category C tenants -- meaning residents of subdivided units affected by alteration works or enforcement measures of the BHU scheme.

But with around 30,000 subdivided flats currently in need of transitioning into BHUs and only just 4,000 transitional housing units available for Category C tenants, many have raised concerns regarding the supply of housing.

Responding to these concerns, Ho stressed some will now go for private, whilst others will head to Light Public Housing.

She says the one year registration and three years of grace period will also ensure demand will not all come at the same time.