'Developers won't compromise subsidised home quality'
Housing secretary Winnie Ho on Wednesday brushed aside quality concerns following the government’s unveiling of a pilot scheme for private developers to build subsidised housing.  Under the scheme, private developers can build flats on government sites or on their own rezoned land, but the units have to be sold at 65 percent of market rate.  Ho stressed there will be regular inspections to ensure the quality of these projects, adding that she doesn’t think developers will risk their reputation by building low-quality apartments.  “I can't see how developers would make big investments and sacrifice quality to a point where they wouldn't be able to sell or profit from it,” she told an RTHK programme. The housing chief said private developers are generally positive about the scheme, even though they need more time to look into the terms and conditions before deciding whether or not to sign up for it.  Authorities will start accepting tenders for two government-owned sites under the scheme early next year, which aims to provide 1,600 subsidised homes in Tung Chung and 700 in Chai Wan. Meanwhile, property consulting firm Colliers said developers will likely adopt a wait-and-see approach before deciding whether to develop subsidized housing on some of their plots.  “Whether that is successful, two tender sites would be very, I would say, illustrative of how developers in the later days consider the conversion of the agricultural land into the subsidised housing development," Dorothy Chow, the executive director of the company's Asia valuation and Advisor Services, said.