Knocks on doors in ad campaign

Fifty buses are spreading the message from the Equal Opportunities Commission that good tenants come in different colors.

The bus body campaign "Good Tenants Come in All Ethnicities" was launched last week to promote racial equality in tenancies. The ads will be displayed on buses along various routes for three weeks. This follows it rolling on MTR trains.

The issue of discrimination when someone is trying to rent a home has been brought up frequently by people from minority communities.

"The right to appropriate housing is a fundamental right - one that should not be denied to anyone on any grounds, including race," EOC chair Ricky Chu Man-kin said. "The lack of suitable housing can impact a person's dignity."

The ads support the point that the Race Discrimination Ordinance prohibits leaving someone in the cold because of their race when a property is being offered. Apart from the ad campaign the commission has worked with the Estate Agents Authority to offer training to influence landlords - and agents - about being inclusive.