Hong Kong to hand out cash rewards for exposing public housing abuses
Hong Kong Free Press
Hongkongers will be eligible for rewards of up to HK$3,000 for reporting neighbours who abuse the public housing system, the government has announced, as an official said the scheme would not undermine social harmony.
People will be eligible if they provide information allowing the government to take back a public rental flat, said the Housing Authority, Hong Kong’s main provider of public housing, on Wednesday.
Any person aged 16 or above “who provides genuine and concrete information” allowing the Housing Department to take back a flat involved in a tenancy abuse case will be eligible to submit reports.
Public rental flats with cheap subsidised rents are home to about 800,000 Hong Kong households. The authorities have taken back some 7,000 flats over the past two-and-a-half years, Secretary for Housing Winnie Ho said on an RTHK programme on Thursday.
Community relations
Ho defended the reporting system, saying that blowing the whistle on tenancy abuses would improve relations between residents.
See also: 5,000 Hong Kong public housing units recovered in 2 years amid crackdown on ‘rich tenants’
When asked if people should stalk or eavesdrop on tenants to gather information, Ho said they should only do so “under safe conditions, while abiding by the law.” Asked whether the reporting system would affect neighbourly relations, she advised looking at it “the other way round.”
“If someone misuses a public rental unit, by subletting rooms to strangers… or by operating a mahjong parlour, that is what affects the environment and the relations,” Ho said. She added that those who were willing to “step up” and report suspected abuses would be the ones protecting neighbourly relations.
Abuses of the reporting scheme were unlikely, Ho said, as informants would have to use their real names and attend interviews with the authorities.
Ho estimated that the government would receive 2,600 reports each year, of which about half would be supported by evidence.
Hong Kong has been cracking down on public housing tenancy abuses, including those by “rich tenants,” stepping up efforts to check the value of tenants’ vehicles and whether they owned property elsewhere, calling it a necessary initiative because of the limited public housing supply.
The average wait time for public housing stood at five and a half years, as of the end of September.
According to the Housing Authority, tenancy abuse cases include subletting, engaging in illegal activities such as gambling or drug possession, commercial activities, and making false declarations relating to income, assets, marital status or household particulars.
Living anywhere other than one’s public rental flat for more than three months also constitutes a form of tenancy abuse.
Support HKFP | Policies & Ethics | Error/typo? | Contact Us | Newsletter | Transparency & Annual Report | Apps
Help safeguard press freedom & keep HKFP free for all readers by supporting our team
.wp-block-newspack-blocks-homepage-articles article .entry-title {
font-size: 1.2em;
}
.wp-block-newspack-blocks-homepage-articles .entry-meta {
display: flex;
flex-wrap: wrap;
align-items: center;
margin-top: 0.5em;
}
.wp-block-newspack-blocks-homepage-articles article .entry-meta {
font-size: 0.8em;
}
.wp-block-newspack-blocks-homepage-articles article .avatar {
height: 25px;
width: 25px;
}
.wp-block-newspack-blocks-homepage-articles .post-thumbnail{
margin: 0;
margin-bottom: 0.25em;
}
.wp-block-newspack-blocks-homepage-articles .post-thumbnail img {
height: auto;
width: 100%;
}
.wp-block-newspack-blocks-homepage-articles .post-thumbnail figcaption {
margin-bottom: 0.5em;
}
.wp-block-newspack-blocks-homepage-articles p {
margin: 0.5em 0;
}
HKFP has an impartial stance, transparent funding, and balanced coverage guided by an Ethics Code and Corrections Policy.
Support press freedom & help us surpass 1,000 monthly Patrons: 100% independent, governed by an ethics code & not-for-profit.