Clearance and Rehousing

In land resumption and clearance exercises for the Government development projects, the Clearance Unit of Lands Department is responsible for conducting a pre-clearance survey (also named as freezing survey) on the population of the affected persons, commercial, industrial and agricultural undertakings. The survey is to verify the affected persons are genuine residents/operators of licensed domestic/non-domestic structures or domestic/non-domestic structures, which were surveyed in the Housing Department’s 1982 Squatter Structure Survey.

Upon confirmation of their status, should the affected occupants need rehousing, the Clearance Unit will make referrals to the Hong Kong Housing Authority or Hong Kong Housing Society for vetting of their eligibility for rehousing. If affected occupants not eligible for rehousing are unable to find alternative accommodation on the demolition day, Housing Department will consider allowing them to stay in transit centre temporarily for about three months upon receipt of the referrals from the Lands Department.

The Clearance Unit will also conduct comprehensive investigations on the commercial, industrial and agricultural undertakings affected by the clearance to establish their eligibility for receiving ex-gratia allowance. The Clearance Office with assistance from Squatter Control Office will demolish all the affected structures on the demolition day and hand over the site to the relevant project departments for implementation of the proposed developments.

For more information, please refer to "General Ex-gratia Compensation Arrangements and Squatters' Rehousing Arrangements arising from Land Resumption and Government's Development Exercises".