Thanks for keeping an eye on us

Eunice Lam

The Housing Authority thanked the Ombudsman's recent investigative report for addressing its efforts in combating public housing resource abuse.

The initiative followed a recent investigation report released by the ombudsman that evaluated the efforts of both the Housing Authority and the Housing Society in addressing public housing resource abuse.

A spokesman for the Housing Authority said the administration was committed to exploring new measures to combat public housing abuse.

"We are actively looking into amendments to the Housing Ordinance to criminalize severe tenancy abuse, targeting the passage of these bills in the Legislative Council by mid-2025," the spokesman said.

"We thank the ombudsman for the affirmation and recognition of our work in combating tenancy abuse and we appreciate his valuable views on our current mechanisms and measures."

Separately, the Housing Society said it planned to extend the Well-off Tenant Policy to encompass all tenants in its rental estates over the next five years.

In a bid to encourage public involvement it will introduce a "Report Public Housing Abuse Award" in April, mirroring a similar initiative launched by the authority on January 15.

This award aims to motivate citizens to report suspected cases of housing abuse.

It will also explore establishing communication channels with the mainland and Macau governments to bolster the effectiveness of public housing abuse investigations.

Ombudsman Jack Chan Jick-chi yesterday called on both agencies to undergo a comprehensive review to ensure the flats are properly used.

He cited that over 7,000 abused public housing flats had been reclaimed since July 2022 but the maximum penalty for those abusing public housing flats has been the termination of rental contracts, while the prosecution rate stands at only 4.2 percent in the past seven years.

In most cases, despite having adequate evidence, authorities have failed to launch prosecutions as it has already exceeded the two-year prosecution deadline, Chan added. "The penalty [of terminating the contract] had posed limited consequences to the tenant who lives abroad," Chan said.