China's Hong Kong has set a firm five-year target to eliminate substandard subdivided units by 2030, marking a major milestone in the city's long-standing effort to tackle its housing crisis.

In a one-on-one interview with CGTN's Anne Cheng, Hong Kong SAR Secretary for Housing Winnie Ho said the target sends a clear signal to property owners to take immediate action.

"The target of eradicating all these poor living subdivided units by 2030 sends a very strong message to the whole of society, particularly to the unit owners, that they must take action," Ho said.

To ensure a smooth transition and minimize disruption for tenants, the government has introduced a four-year framework, comprising a one-year registration scheme and a three-year grace period for property owners to renovate units to meet basic safety and space standards – such as a minimum floor area of eight square meters and adequate ventilation.

To support affected residents during the transition, six District Services Teams directly run by the Housing Bureau will assist tenants in applying for alternative housing, including transitional housing and Light Public Housing (LPH).

Light Public Housing (LPH) is temporary housing that helps to fill the short-term gap of public housing supply. It mainly caters to people who have been waitlisted for traditional public rental housing for three years or more, with priority given to family applicants. The government's ambitious goal of delivering 30,000 Light Public Housing units ahead of schedule is being driven by Modular Integrated Construction (MIC) technology. By leveraging manufacturing supply chains in neighboring Guangdong Province – including facilities in Zhuhai, Huizhou and Jiangmen – modules are mass-produced off-site while foundational work proceeds in Hong Kong.

“By making use of the capacity and strength of the mainland, these modules can be built like cars on a factory production line," Ho explained, adding that the parallel construction process significantly reduces local labour requirements and drastically accelerates project timelines.

Beyond solving local housing shortages, mainland suppliers providing the MIC units are exporting their technologies globally, receiving orders from markets in Africa, Australia, and the Middle East.

Ho also addressed "cage homes" and "coffin homes", whose living conditions are deemed worse than those of subdivided units. The housing chief said "cage homes" are considered to be rented bed spaces and are governed by a different bureau. Ho added that "coffin homes", governed by the Housing Bureau, violate basic housing unit regulations and will be eliminated alongside substandard subdivided units under the five-year plan.