Suicides prompt overhaul of eviction appeals for vulnerable tenants

Secretary for Housing Winnie Ho Wing-yin said on Tuesday that there is a need for heightened sensitivity and careful handling of public housing tenants with special needs, in the wake of a tragedy that resulted in the deaths of a mother and son when they were evicted from their home.

The pair, who had a history of mental illness, fell to their deaths in April and July this year after a long dispute over their eligibility to reside in their Tin Yan Estate flat in Tin Shui Wai. 

The Housing Authority had issued them a notice to vacate in November last year after it was discovered they failed to declare two land assets, estimated to be worth around HK$700,000, during their public housing application 13 years ago—an omission that disqualified them.

While expressing profound sadness over the incident, Ho detailed the “compassionate and humanized” measures the department had taken throughout the process.

These included immediately referring the case to the Social Welfare Department for support from social workers, temporarily suspending the eviction deadline to allow the tenants time to find suitable alternative housing, and assisting them with an application for transitional housing, all with their consent.

Ho explained that the individuals had been given multiple opportunities to declare their assets after moving into the public housing unit but the non-disclosure persisted.

The Appeal Panel, which included legal professionals and a member with a social work background, had considered the case in its entirety before upholding the decision to reclaim the flat.

Acknowledging the complexities involved in cases concerning tenants with special needs, the housing chief announced plans to provide staff with additional training to enhance their understanding and improve communication with such households.

She also revealed a potential review of the composition of the Appeal Panel, noting that while over half of its 130 members are lawyers and the rest are from the education sector and other professions, there may be a need to include medical professionals to provide valuable health-related perspectives.

Meanwhile, Ho highlighted the robustness of the appeal mechanism, noting that in the first seven months of this year, nearly 40 percent of the eviction cases handled by the Appeal Panel were amended or revoked, with 26 percent being completely canceled upon appeal. 

Some tenants have also sought judicial reviews, which she stated reflects the reasonableness and completeness of the appeal system.

(Marco Lam)