运输工务司司长刘仕尧透露，政府不但将在今年内全部落实首阶段7000个公屋兴建计划，亦正积极透过换地、重建低密度旧社屋等方式增加公屋及土地资源储备，除争取于2010年底前落实兴建19000个公屋单位外，还规划有4000个公屋单位。但他强调，政府不会一次过用尽所有土地储备兴建公屋响应需求。尤其近年相关统计数字反映，有不少公屋轮候者上楼意欲下降或不符资格被除名，加上市场楼价开始下调和外雇退场等，亦将相对减轻居民的住屋压力。市场上有逾万个空置单位应市，以及11000个在建新楼，且空置单位中有逾七成为1000平方呎以下的二手旧楼，应是经屋竞投者自置物业的对象。但在建新楼宇中却有超过八成为逾一千平方呎、并非公屋竞投者所能承担的大单位，公屋的供求仍有落差，故政府未来应因应社会经济发展、私人楼市情况及居民的实际需求，弹性调整公屋发展规划，力求让公屋资源长期得以善用，以响应及稳定居民的住屋需求。

運輸工務司司長劉仕堯透露，政府不但將在今年內全部落實首階段7000個公屋興建計劃，亦正積極透過換地、重建低密度舊社屋等方式增加公屋及土地資源儲備，除爭取於2010年底前落實興建19000個公屋單位外，還規劃有4000個公屋單位。但他強調，政府不會一次過用盡所有土地儲備興建公屋回應需求。尤其近年相關統計數字反映，有不少公屋輪候者上樓意慾下降或不符資格被除名，加上市場樓價開始下調和外僱退場等，亦將相對減輕居民的住屋壓力。市場上有逾萬個空置單位應市，以及11000個在建新樓，且空置單位中有逾七成為1000平方呎以下的二手舊樓，應是經屋競投者自置物業的對象。但在建新樓宇中卻有超過八成為逾一千平方呎、並非公屋競投者所能承擔的大單位，公屋的供求仍有落差，故政府未來應因應社會經濟發展、私人樓市情況及居民的實際需求，彈性調整公屋發展規劃，力求讓公屋資源長期得以善用，以回應及穩定居民的住屋需求。

Secretary for Transport and Public Works (SOPT) Lau Si Io said that the government is not only going to implement the first-phase construction project of 7,000 public residential units by the end of this year but will also endeavour to increase the number of public houses and land reserve at its disposal through land exchange and the reconstruction of old communities with low housing density. In addition to ensuring that by the end of 2010 some 19,000 public residences will be available, the government has plans for an additional 4,000 public residences to be built. The secretary emphasised, however, that the government is not going to provide all available land for a one-off development of public housing just to meet housing demand. This seems to be confirmed by the latest figures indicating that some of the applicants for public housing are less eager to buy their own properties while others are disqualified by failing to meet eligibility conditions. In addition, the downturn in property prices and the withdrawal of migrant workers has helped depress housing demand.

Some 11,000 housing units are under construction, in addition to the existing 10,000 apartments awaiting buyers. Some 70% of unsold flats are second-hand units measuring less than 1,000sq.ft, which could conceivably be bought by public housing applicants. However, more than 80% of apartments currently under construction are larger than 1,000sq.ft, and are obviously unaffordable to public housing applicants, thus a gap between demand and supply for public housing remains. Consequently, the government should adjust its public housing policy from time to time in line with social and economic development and the status of the property market, as well as take into account residents’ actual needs. The government should flexibly tune its public house programme to meet and stabilise residents’ housing needs to ensure that public housing resources are put to good use in the long term.