As insightful as the article on Hong Kong’s sky-high property market was (House & Home, November 27), it is a shame to see the FT perpetuating the myth that severely constrained housing supply is due to a shortage of land.
There is plenty of disused farmland and brownfield sites in the New Territories that could be built upon without displacing productive economic activity or infringing on areas protected for environmental reasons. The obstacles stem almost entirely from issues of administration and governance, which may now face a reckoning as Beijing turns more of its attention to Hong Kong’s housing crisis.
Indeed, it is telling that in the past year the local authorities have reprioritised plans for new residential sites in the New Territories at the expense of ongoing discussion about a costly reclamation initiative, Lantau Tomorrow Vision, that would provide entirely new land to build on.
John Marrett
Asia Country Risk Service Manager
The Economist Intelligence Unit, Hong Kong
Letter: Hong Kong is not suffering a shortage of housing land
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