Can’t find a house? Well, you could always live in a shipping container… on an actual ship.
A lobby group proposed as much today, suggesting a “floating city” of container homes on barges near the Kai Tak cruise terminal could provide a temporary solution to Hong Kong’s housing crisis.
With public housing waiting lists stretching to up to five years, the Real Property Federation said their idea could house up to 2,000 people and be ready quicker than plans to reclaim land near Lantau island, reported on.cc.
They priced the plan at about HK$140 million (US$17.8 million) and moved to reassure people it would be safe, even if a typhoon battered the city.
Vice chairman of the group Derrick Yip said that building the barges and fitting out the converted containers to include electricity, plumbing and other amenities would take a year and a half to finish.
He stressed residences there would only be a “temporary arrangement” until longer-term solutions to the land supply and housing crisis were implemented.
According to RTHK, the federation also called to reduce regulations on building density and stated its support for private-public partnerships and large-scale reclamation to increase land supply.
The federation does not, however, support developing the Fanling private golf course or 66 other sites leased by private clubs.
He said the facilities had “been training a lot of professional sportsmen” and were an asset to the city, according to the public broadcaster.
Yip maintained the fact that some of the federations’ members belonged to some of the private clubs was not the reason for the stance.
Sure.
