The impact of tenants purchase scheme (TPS) on community attachment

Abstract

Being a homeowner and living at an enjoyable place are the dream for most Hong Kong people. In order to promote homeownership rate, the Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA) implemented the Tenants Purchase Scheme (TPS). There are total 39 nos. of housing estate with approximate 180,000 flats involved in TPS which allow existing and new public housing tenants to purchase their living flat at a discounted price. In western countries, the proponent of privatization of public housing claimed that home ownership induces community participation which is beneficial to the community development. Reingold (1995) pointed out that home owner will maintain, respect and improve their property so as to maximize the returns on their investment. They would more likely to contribute to their living community than public housing tenants. It is expected that the implementation of TPS would cause positive impact on community attachment by change of tenure status for those home owner. It is also expected that the other predictor, length of residence, is positively related to community attachment. This paper aims to study the impact of Tenant Purchase Scheme on residents’ community attachment in the context of current circumstances of TPS estates in Hong Kong. Community attachment would be divided into four dependent variables including emotional connection, social ties, community participation and community satisfaction. This study will focus on the change of tenure status and length of residence of residents living in TPS estate as independent variable in order to study whether the implementation of TPS would cause positive or negative impact on community attachment of both public housing tenants and home owners. Three TPS housing estates in Tai Po District would be selected for this study by using by random sampling to collect data from residents of both TPS owners and public housing tenants.