Housing Policies in Hong Kong

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (01) ◽  
pp. 110-124
Author(s):  
Tai Wei LIM
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Private Sector ◽  
Public Housing ◽  
Land Development ◽  
Chief Executive ◽  
Approval Process ◽  
Housing Policies ◽  
The Law

Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam presented her housing policies at the 2019 annual address in broad strokes, including using ordinances to resume undeveloped land in accordance with the law. The Hong Kong government could use its regulatory power as disincentives for private development of land given the highly bureaucratic, time-consuming and expensive land development approval process. The Hong Kong government would also work jointly with private sector landlords to potentially develop public housing and profit-driven projects, which would then be negotiated based on the Hong Kong government’s terms and conditions.

The Law of the People's Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-17
Author(s):  
Simon N.M. Young
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
National Security ◽  
Chief Executive ◽  
People’S Republic Of China ◽  
Special Administrative Region ◽  
People's Republic Of China ◽  
Republic Of China ◽  
Administrative Region ◽  
Basic Law ◽  
The Law

The Law of the People's Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (NSL) was passed on June 30, 2020 by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPCSC). It did not have immediate direct effect in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). After consulting the Committee for the Basic Law of the HKSAR (BLC) and the Government of the HKSAR (HKSARG), the NPCSC added the NSL to Annex III of The Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (Basic Law) before the Chief Executive of the HKSAR (Chief Executive) promulgated the NSL for local application. All this happened on June 30, enabling the NSL to enter into force at 11 p.m., just ahead of the twenty-third anniversary of the establishment of the HKSAR on July 1, 2020.

Forgotten Obstacles, Neglected Forces: Explaining the Origins of Hong Kong Public Housing

1989 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 179-196 ◽  
Author(s):  
A Smart
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Private Sector ◽  
Public Housing ◽  
Affordable Housing ◽  
The State ◽  
Public Welfare ◽  
Historical Background ◽  
Property Development ◽  
The Third ◽  
Labour Power

There are three explanations in the literature for Hong Kong embarking upon the state provision of housing in 1954. One explanation sees this provision as an inevitable response to the inability of the private sector to provide affordable housing for the influx of immigrants after 1945. The second interprets it as support for the property development industry, rather than for public welfare. The third explanation traces the intervention to the need to reproduce labour power, All three explanations may be criticized for faulty reasoning and for misinterpreting the historical background of the involvement. An argument is made for more attention to the autonomy, although limited, of the state and to the actual and potential resistance of squatters in producing the outcome of squatter resettlement and not just squatter clearance.

Contract Formation in Hong Kong

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lusina HO
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Social Context ◽  
Common Law ◽  
General Rule ◽  
Good Faith ◽  
Local Context ◽  
General Duty ◽  
Contract Formation ◽  
Formal Requirement ◽  
The Law

This chapter examines the law on contract formation in Hong Kong which is closely modelled on the English common law but adapts the English solutions to the local context if and when required. The test for ascertaining the parties’ meeting of the minds is objective, the agreement (an offer with a matching acceptance) must be certain, complete, and made with the intention to create legal relations—the latter being presumed to be present in a commercial context and absent in a familial or social context. Offers are freely revocable although the reliance of the offeree is protected in exceptional circumstances. Acceptances become effective as soon as they are dispatched. In the ‘battle of forms’ scenario, the Hong Kong courts follow the traditional ‘last-shot’ rule. There is no general duty to negotiate in good faith, and even agreements to negotiate in good faith are normally unenforceable for lack of certainty. As a general rule, contracts can be validly made without adhering to any formal requirement. Online contracts will normally be valid and enforceable; the formation of such contracts is governed by common law as supplemented by legislation.

Housing, crises and crime

2021 ◽  
Vol 54 (1) ◽  
pp. 34-46
Author(s):  
John Braithwaite
Keyword(s):  
Criminal Justice ◽  
First Nations ◽  
Public Housing ◽  
Social Housing ◽  
Housing Stock ◽  
Housing Policies ◽  
Treaty Negotiations ◽  
Disadvantaged Neighbourhood ◽  
Neoliberal Policies ◽  
Just Society

A disappointment of responses to the Covid-19 crisis is that governments have not invested massively in public housing. Global crises are opportunities for macro resets of policy settings that might deliver lower crime and better justice. Justice Reinvestment is important, but far from enough, as investment beyond the levels of capital sunk into criminal justice is required to establish a just society. Neoliberal policies have produced steep declines in public and social housing stock. This matters because many rehabilitation programmes only work when clients have secure housing. Getting housing policies right is also fundamental because we know the combined effect on crime of being truly disadvantaged, and living in a deeply disadvantaged neighbourhood, is not additive, but multiplicative. A Treaty with First Nations Australians is unlikely to return the stolen land on which white mansions stand. Are there other options for Treaty negotiations? Excellence and generosity in social housing policies might open some paths to partial healing for genocide and ecocide.

scholarly journals Zambian farm blocks: A vehicle for increased private sector investments

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 817-825
Author(s):  
Susanna L. Middelberg ◽  
Pieter van der Zwan ◽  
Cobus Oberholster
Keyword(s):  
Private Sector ◽  
Land Tenure ◽  
Agricultural Sector ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Labour Productivity ◽  
Land Development ◽  
Policy Uncertainty ◽  
Infrastructure Development ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Private Sector Investment

AbstractThe Zambian government has introduced the farm block development programme (FBDP) to facilitate agricultural land and rural development and encourage private sector investment. This study assessed whether the FBDP achieves these goals. Key obstacles and possible opportunities were also identified and, where appropriate, specific corrective actions were recommended. Qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews conducted in Lusaka with various stakeholders of the FBDP. The FBDP is designed to facilitate agricultural land development and encourage private sector investment. However, the programme falls far short in terms of implementation, amidst policy uncertainty and lack of support. This is evident by the insecurity of land tenure which negatively affects small- and medium-scale producers’ access to financing, lack of infrastructure development of these farm blocks, and constraints in the agricultural sector such as low labour productivity and poor access to service expertise. It is recommended that innovative policy interventions should be created to support agricultural development. This can be achieved by following a multistakeholder approach through involving private, public and non-profit sectors such as non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and donors.

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