New technologies can speed up housing projects: govt

Secretary for Housing Winnie Ho said new construction technologies can speed up housing projects and that residents living in substandard subdivided flats will not go homeless amid policy changes.The government announced a plan to eradicate substandard subdivided flats last year, saying they will be replaced by basic housing units, each of which must be no less than eight square metres, or 86 square feet.Speaking on RTHK's Overview Policy programme, Ho said residents of substandard subdivided units do not have to worry about relocations."Let's say one third of the subdivided flats have to be redesigned," she said."But the supply of public housing units will increase in the future, and we will have 21,000 transitional flats and 30,000 light public flats"These flats will help to accommodate some 30,000 households in subdivided flats who have to be relocated."Ho said she believes new construction technologies can help speed up housing projects, such as the modular integrated construction method being used to build transitional housing and light public housing.Ho said she has had exchanges with experts on the mainland and that their new technologies could help the construction sector of the SAR."There are more and more robotic arms being used," she pointed out. "Light public housing are structural steel projects, so welding is an important procedure."Robotic arms are used for welding, and the efficiency, accuracy and safety are a lot better than doing it manually."

Secretary for Housing Winnie Ho said new construction technologies can speed up housing projects and that residents living in substandard subdivided flats will not go homeless amid policy changes. The government announced a plan to eradicate substandard subdivided flats last year, saying they will be replaced by basic housing units, each of which must be no less than eight square metres, or 86 square feet. Speaking on RTHK's Overview Policy programme, Ho said residents of substandard subdivided units do not have to worry about relocations.

"Let's say one third of the subdivided flats have to be redesigned," she said. "But the supply of public housing units will increase in the future, and we will have 21,000 transitional flats and 30,000 light public flats "These flats will help to accommodate some 30,000 households in subdivided flats who have to be relocated." Ho said she believes new construction technologies can help speed up housing projects, such as the modular integrated construction method being used to build transitional housing and light public housing.

Ho said she has had exchanges with experts on the mainland and that their new technologies could help the construction sector of the SAR. "There are more and more robotic arms being used," she pointed out. "Light public housing are structural steel projects, so welding is an important procedure.

"Robotic arms are used for welding, and the efficiency, accuracy and safety are a lot better than doing it manually.".