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 emphasized that the target sends a clear signal to property owners to take immediate action.

"This target to mention the year 2030 to eradicate all these poor living subdivided units sends a very strong message to the whole society, particularly to these subdivided unit owners, that they must take action," Ho said. "The government is very determined to make this to an end."

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).

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 building cars on a factory production line," Ho explained, adding that this parallel construction process significantly reduces local manpower requirements and drastically accelerates project timelines.
Beyond solving local housing shortages, mainland suppliers providing these MIC units are now exporting their technologies globally, receiving orders from markets in Africa, Australia, and the Middle East.

Addressing even worse living conditions, such as "cage homes" and "coffin homes," Ho clarified that bedspace apartments fall under the Bedspace Apartment Ordinance, while extremely cramped "coffin homes" fail to meet basic housing regulations. Both will be systematically eliminated alongside substandard subdivided units under the five-year plan.