"They never asked us": Residents voice frustration as Housing Authority pushes ahead with New Territories redevelopment

Residents of Fanling have gathered outside the Housing Authority's service centre on Heung Fai Road this week, armed with placards and petition forms, demanding what they say has been missing from the government's latest housing development plan: their voices.

The proposed redevelopment of several blocks in the district—part of Hong Kong's broader push to increase housing supply—would demolish approximately 240 ageing residential units to make way for higher-density public housing. While officials frame the project as essential to addressing the city's chronic housing shortage, affecting some 200,000 families on public housing waiting lists, residents argue the process has steamrolled through without adequate community input.

"They held three consultation sessions, all scheduled on weekday mornings when most of us are working," said Wong Mei-ling, a 62-year-old retired teacher who has lived in the affected area for 28 years. Wong, speaking on behalf of the Fanling Community Concern Group, noted that elderly residents and working families struggled to attend meetings held at the Fanling District Community Centre during business hours.

The Housing Authority's redevelopment plan envisions replacing the current mix of walk-up residential buildings with modern 40-storey towers, expected to house 1,800 residents. Current market valuations suggest displaced residents would receive compensation averaging HK$2.8 million per unit—figures residents argue fall significantly short of purchasing equivalent accommodation in the district, where private property now averages HK$9,500 per square foot.

The broader context reflects Hong Kong's persistent housing crisis. Official data shows the median private residential property price has climbed 23 percent since 2020, while average flat sizes have shrunk by 8 percent. Public housing waiting time remains at roughly 5.4 years, among Asia's longest.

Officials from the Housing Authority maintain the project aligns with the government's target to complete 316,000 public housing units by 2035. A spokeswoman stated that resettlement support services would be made available and that "community feedback has been carefully considered."

Local district councillor Chan Wing-ho, however, suggested the consultation timeline was compressed. "Residents need more than three sessions to understand their options and raise meaningful concerns," Chan told journalists at a community meeting in Sheung Shui last week.

The Housing Authority has indicated it will release a refined plan by September, following what officials describe as a "broader engagement period." Residents' groups say they will continue pressing for extended consultation windows and more flexible compensation arrangements before any demolition begins.

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