Housing Authority

The Housing Authority (HA) is a statutory body and the government's
agent responsible for implementing the majority of Hong Kong's public
housing programmes. Established in 1973, the authority plans and builds
public sector housing, either for rent or sale. It manages public rental
housing estates, Home Ownership Scheme (HOS) courts, interim
housing, cottage areas, transit centres, flatted factories, commercial
facilities and other community and ancillary facilities. Increasingly, it has
contracted out the management of some of these facilities to private
agencies. It also administers the Private Sector Participation Scheme
(PSPS) and the Home Purchase Loan Scheme, and acts as the
government's agent to clear land and control squatting. The Housing
Department is its executive arm.

The government provides land on concessionary terms and, where
necessary, finances the authority to meet the government's public housing
targets. At the end of March 1997, the government's capital investment
and contribution stood at about $30.1 billion. This comprised
non-interest-bearing permanent capital of $13.5 billion, loan capital of
$11.1 billion, contributions to domestic housing of $4.8 billion and
non-domestic equity of $642.1 million. The historical market value of land
provided on concessionary terms was $192.5 billion.

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