The Roundtable shall commence with a brief Introduction and a welcome note by Qazi M Arif & Nadia Tromp, Co-Directors of the Community Architecture and Human Right Work Program.
It will generate discussions on Community Architecture and Housing issues of UIA Member Sections following the Keynote Presentation.
Three eminent members of the Work Program shall review the Keynote and reflect their comments and observations.
15 delegates from different Member Sections will be invited to attend the Roundtable as Participants to share their experience from respective countries.
The event shall be graced by the presence of UIA President José-Luis Cortés and Secretary General Pei Ing Tan who will also address the participants & audience.
The Roundtable is open to all delegate of the UIA WORLD CONGRESS 2023 as observer.
No Registration. Seats are limited to 20-30 persons.
KEYNOTE:
Community Architecture and “The Housing Ladder”
Ar. Prof Ada Y S FUNG, BBS, FHKIA, FCIOB
SYNOPSIS:
“No one shall be rendered homeless.” In making cities safe, sustainable, inclusive and resilient, citizens need to gain access to sustainable and affordable quality housing.
Sparked off by a tragic squatter fire in 1953 where there was a huge influx of migrants after the Second World War, and we have 80 years of public housing history in Hong Kong. It was not until 2001 when all urban squatters had been thoroughly cleared.
“The Housing Ladder” aptly describes how Hong Kong provides affordable housing to citizens who cannot afford private housing throughout the last few decades. Changes in policy and strategy have an impact on estate layout, house form, and provisions for the community.
Rising to social and economic challenges of the population, the government and Hong Kong Housing Authority have been committed to caring for people and be creative at all times to address the challenges of affordability, amidst changes in policy and strategy over the last few decades.
The above said, the saga of substandard habitats continues in the city. Scarcity of land, soaring property prices, high land costs, increase in population and household formation all contribute to housing problems throughout the decades. “The Housing Ladder” sees a whole suite of interim housing, public rental housing, subsidized sale flats (tenants purchase scheme, mortgage subsidy scheme, home ownership scheme, private sector participation scheme), private housing, luxury properties etc. The latest additions are “transitional housing” and “Light Public Housing”. The story of “The Housing Ladder” continues.
Organized by: UIA – Community Architecture and Human Rights Work Program
