Public housing estates in the Kai Tak development area

The following is an overview of public housing estates in the Kai Tak development area, Kowloon City District, Hong Kong, including Home Ownership Scheme (HOS), Private Sector Participation Scheme (PSPS), and Tenants Purchase Scheme (TPS) estates.

In 1998, the Hong Kong International Airport relocated to Chek Lap Kok, clearing the way for a redevelopment of the Kai Tak lands. In 2006 the Planning Department outlined plans to build two new public estates on part of this brownfield site. The two estates, called Kai Ching (啟晴) and Tak Long (德朗), opened on the former north apron in 2013/2014.

Kai Ching Estate (Chinese: 啟晴邨) consists of six residential buildings completed in 2013. It houses around 5,200 flats for 13,300 residents and shares the "Ching Long Shopping Centre" with Tak Long Estate. Kai Ching Estate was built by China State Construction Engineering (Hong Kong).

Like other public housing estates in Hong Kong, the construction of Kai Ching Estate made use of prefabricated components including precast facades and staircases, semi-precast slabs, and precast kitchens and bathrooms. Kai Ching was also a pilot estate for the use of precast water taps.

The estate incorporates a number of energy and water saving features. Renewable energy sources include solar panels on the housing block rooftops, and lift motors that can generate power when the lift is carrying a heavy load down, a light load up, or under braking conditions. A district cooling system cools non-domestic facilities including the shops, kindergartens, and estate offices. A rainwater collection system is used for irrigation.

In 2014 one resident of Lok Ching House shot and killed another resident, sparking a 12-hour standoff with police. The gunman, a mainland immigrant, shot himself and was declared dead in hospital. He was suspected of suffering from mental problems and had previously been jailed for assault.

In 2015 water samples from Kai Ching Estate were found to be contaminated with lead, sparking a citywide scandal and the discovery of contaminated drinking water at many other buildings. Pipe soldering samples taken from Kai Ching Estate contained 50 per cent lead. In addition, Legionella bacteria was discovered at Mun Ching House.

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