Letters | No room for a housing policy that encourages youth to lie flat

Readers discuss the need to tackle Hong Kong’s housing crisis, solutions to the city’s construction financing gap, the importance of language flexibility in tertiary education, and the health impact of alcohol use

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An agent works at a real estate agency in Hong Kong’s Wong Tai Sin district, on July 19, 2022. Photo: Edmond So

Published: 11:30am, 16 Oct 2024

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What does the future hold for our city when 30 per cent of young Hongkongers feel forced to “lie flat” just to qualify for public housing? (“30% of Hongkongers will ‘lie flat’, decline pay rise to meet public housing rules”, October 7). Are we witnessing a rising “reverse meritocracy” where hard work is punished and stagnation is rewarded?

This alarming trend undermines not only our city’s competitiveness but also the self-worth and aspirations of our youth. With unaffordable housing dictating their life choices, how can we expect them to aspire to greatness?

The government is boosting the supply of affordable housing through its “light public housing” and youth hostel schemes. While this is progress, bolder measures are needed.

One solution could be a “subscription living” model, inspired by co-living trends in cities like Berlin and London. These arrangements offer affordability and flexibility, allowing young professionals to live near job opportunities without long-term lease commitments. By partnering with private developers, we can create similar co-living options tailored to Hong Kong’s youth, fostering both economic opportunity and personal growth.

Furthermore, a “housing credit system” could reward young people for their career achievements, community service and ongoing pursuit of education, while simultaneously enhancing their housing opportunities. For instance, France’s Service Civique programme gives young volunteers a stipend to support their living expenses during civic engagements. We could modify this concept for Hong Kong. A pilot programme could be introduced to allow residents of youth hostels to earn credits based on career milestones and volunteer work, thus improving their prospects for securing housing.

As we face a housing crisis, it is crucial to recognise that countries worldwide are taking steps to address this critical challenge. In Singapore, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong recently pledged to provide affordable public flats in every region for young working Singaporeans. We must not fall behind. By adopting forward-thinking policies, we can cultivate ambition rather than stifle it – ensuring that Hong Kong’s youth can aspire to goals as high as our skyline.

Andy Chan, Yuen Long

Bridging finance can bring relief to construction sector

The Hong Kong Construction Industry Employees General Union’s warning that unpaid wages and benefits in the industry have reached HK$70 million (US$9 million) is worrying and all measures to improve the situation should be considered (“Hong Kong builders owe ‘HK$290 million in unpaid wages, subcontractor fees’”, October 9).

As the construction sector navigates the severe headwinds of recent years, an area that is often overlooked but which deserves attention, is the widening financing gap. The combination of back-to-back payment arrangements, long waits for payment for services already delivered, and paper-based processes are locking up an estimated HK$53.8 billion in the construction supply chain every year.

Working capital financing can provide immediate relief to meet needs such as wages and outlays, as well as enable companies to take on new projects and grow. Yet access to such finance has long been an everyday challenge faced by subcontractors and suppliers.

There are several reasons for this. There is a low-risk appetite to finance subcontractors. Meanwhile, business loans often take a long time to approve, with substantial collateral requirements. The sector also remains largely paper-driven, making it difficult to underwrite working capital loans.

However, financial technology companies offering alternative financing are on the rise in Hong Kong. They’re using technology to break down these barriers to match capital providers with the needs of small businesses.

As part of the long-term solution, there must be greater collaboration between financial, fintech and construction sectors to address these challenges. In doing so, we can begin to build greater resilience in a sector so crucial to our city’s economy and society.

Ben Wong, CEO, Riverchain

English has its place in academia, but it mustn’t be barrier

I refer to the letter, “Why Hong Kong universities mustn’t lower language requirements for admission” (September 30). I agree with your correspondent’s view that English is an important language in Hong Kong’s tertiary education, but I also think that universities should have some flexibility with the rules so they can admit exceptionally talented students.

Tertiary education has two major goals. The first is to equip students with the skills needed for professional work. To this end, there is no doubt that language capability is of paramount importance.

The second goal is to nurture researchers who will push the frontiers of our knowledge. In this regard, English language ability is also vital. I study the Chinese language as an amateur researcher, yet most of the academic papers I read and write are in English.

Researchers must have a common language to exchange ideas and keep themselves updated with the latest trends in the field, and English has been the lingua franca across nearly all academic fields. Even for subjects unrelated to English, much of the discussion still occurs in English, let alone for subjects like linguistics with many concepts and terms developed in English. Without a good command of English, researchers will not be able to study well.

Having said all that, we cannot deny that once in a blue moon, schools will encounter exceptionally outstanding students who unfortunately do not meet language requirements. In such cases, school administrators should have some flexibility to offer them a place, while providing sufficient language training upon admission. After all, I am sure not all of the Nobel Prize laureates speak fluent English.

Anson Chan, Guangzhou

There’s no safe level of alcohol use, even for Hong Kong

Health consequences of drinking may differ between individuals depending on the amount, type, quality and pattern of alcohol use. For the general population, however, alcohol use causes multiple preventable conditions and avoidable deaths, as well as harm to others. It’s beyond dispute that no level of alcohol consumption is safe for health.

Department of Health data on alcohol consumption per capita between 2004 and 2018 shows a rise after the removal of the alcohol tax in 2008. The average alcohol consumption per capita of 2.785 litres for the 10 years following 2008 exceeds the average of 2.570 litres for the four years preceding 2008. Figures beyond 2018 are atypical due to social unrest and Covid-19.

In a letter published on October 9, your correspondent suggests that alcohol consumption per capita for Hong Kong is low compared with some parts of the world. But one should not overlook that alcohol-related problems are already harming the city. Examples include certain cancers, injuries, domestic violence cases and traffic incidents in which drinking was a factor. By the time the harmful effects of increased alcohol consumption become apparent, it may be too late to act.

Raising alcohol taxes is clearly stated in the World Health Organization’s Global Alcohol Action Plan 20222-2030 as one of the most cost-effective ways to reduce alcohol-related harm. The plan is the outcome of consultation with member-states and stakeholders. The plan also outlines measures that operators in the alcohol industry can take. It remains the government’s responsibility to inform the public of alcohol-related risks and monitor alcohol abuse while working with stakeholders to restrict alcohol consumption and reduce associated harm.

Dr Regina Ching Cheuk-tuen, Sai Kung