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The Housing Authority plans to submit a bill to the Legislative Council aimed at criminalizing serious cases of abuse by the second quarter of this year.
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Secretary for Housing Winnie Ho Wing-yin said on Monday that authorities would review cases using "common sense."
The proposed amendments to the Housing Ordinance were discussed during a Legco panel on housing meeting.
According to government documents submitted earlier, the amendments include introducing a fine of HK$500,000 and a one-year imprisonment for violators, while also empowering authorized officers to request identification from suspected offenders.
Also, the time limit for prosecuting false statements and refusals to provide information will be extended from two years to six years, or within one year after discovery by an authorized officer.
The authority aims to submit the bill to Legco within the second quarter of this year, with expectations for it to be passed by July.
"Making serious public housing abuse a criminal offense will stop people from taking chances [abusing public housing units]," Ho said, adding issues such as tenants renting out their public housing units to others.
Lawmaker Chan Hok-Fung expressed concerns that the amendments may be too stringent and could inadvertently penalize innocent tenants engaging in small businesses, such as handicrafts, within their flats.
Ho clarified that the amendments specifically target those who do not reside in the units but exploit them for profit.
She noted that using a unit as a tutoring center might violate tenancy agreements, emphasizing that each case would be examined by the appeal board based on common sense.
Ho added that the amendments could encourage individuals to voluntarily return unused public housing units, allowing officers to execute their duties more effectively.
So far, authorities have recovered 7,000 units and expect to recover about 2,800 units this year, similar to last year.
(Marcus Lum)
