Home-ownership under economic uncertainty

Abstract

Home-ownership in Hong Kong has been hailed as the preferred tenure during the past two decades. Since 1987 the government has pursued a home-ownership policy, mainly by encouraging private-sector development and by providing a limited number of flats for sale. While home-ownership is still cherished as the bulwark of housing policy, the Asian financial crisis of 1997 has made it extremely risky. This paper is concerned with the risks of home-ownership, its relationship with the economy and the implications of a home-ownership policy for the role of the state. It is argued that while home-ownership may be risky the state, through appropriate institutional arrangements, can share risk and responsibilities with home-owners.