Hong Kong’s public housing providers have been issued a list of recommendations to enhance their efforts to counter abuses of government-subsidised housing, as authorities seek to reduce public housing waiting times by evicting “well-off tenants.”
A public housing estate in Hong Kong. File photo: GovHK.
In a statement announcing the completion of an investigation into the government’s push to combat abuses of limited public housing resources, the Office of the Ombudsman said strategies implemented to increase supply of subsidised units and shorten waiting times had “yielded significant results and deserve full recognition.”
After taking office in July 2022, Chief Executive John Lee said that addressing Hong Kong’s housing issues topped the agenda for his administration.
That October, he vowed to reduce the average waiting time for public rental housing – which was then 5.6 years – to 4.5 within four years.
As of last September, the average wait was 5.5 years.
“The results are remarkable and deserve recognition and commendation from the community,” Chan said, praising the “positive attitude, correct approach and remarkable results” of public housing providers the Hong Kong Housing Authority (HKHA) and the Hong Kong Housing Society (HKSA).
“To go the extra mile, there is still room for improvement on the part of the HKHA and the HKHS to ensure that their administrative work against [public rental housing] abuse is more precise, comprehensive and effective,” Chan added.
The Office of the Ombudsman issued 31 suggestions to the housing providers, including: engaging property management staff to scrutinise tenants details; exploring ways to improve communication with authorities in mainland China and Macau to better access information about any properties owned by tenants there; and proactively searching the Land Registry to screen for any Hong Kong-owned properties using a recently established mechanism.
Ombudsman Jack Chan addresses reporters in the Office of the Ombudsman, Hong Kong, on January 22, 2025. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP.
The HKHA was advised to raise its prosecution rate for tenants who abused the system “thereby enhancing deterrent effect and cost efficiency to the extent that tenants who have been abusing [public housing] will voluntarily surrender their flats.”
Meanwhile, the HKHS was told it should conduct a study “on the full implementation of the Well-off Tenants Policy, seek legal advice and seriously explore ways to cover all tenants of its rental estates under the policy as soon as possible,” among other recommendations.
In an emailed statement on Wednesday, the HKHS said it was “in complete accord with the government on stepping up efforts to combat public housing abuse and ensure rational use of public housing resources.” It added that it would launch a rewards initiative for people who report suspected abuses of public housing.
In a statement issued in response to the Ombudsman’s announcement on Wednesday, a spokesperson for the Housing Department thanked the watchdog for “the affirmation and recognition of our work in combating tenancy abuse,” adding that it would “review and study the relevant recommendations in detail and continue to enhance the existing measures to combat tenancy abuse and actively explore various new methods to ensure the optimal use of public housing resources.”
