Around 12,000 reports flagging suspected abuse of public housing resources have been received over the past eight months, a Hong Kong official has said amid a crack down on “rich tenants” in government-subsidised housing.
Rosanna Law, director for housing, said on Metro Radio on Sunday that the government had invited around 250,000 tenants who have lived in public housing for over 10 years to participate in a round of self-reports by May 31.
Law said around 27 per cent of tenants had completed self-reports as of May 17. Around 300 tenants had contacted the Housing Department to surrender their public housing units, she added.
Law said reports from the general public were more effective at combatting abuses of the public housing system than self-reports from tenants.
Among the 12,000 reports received from members of the public, 190 reports were confirmed valid after investigation and authorities have asked tenants to move out of the public housing units.
“We’re not encouraging a culture of reporting. But neighbours know best whether someone is actually living in a public housing unit,” Law said in Cantonese, adding that people were encouraged to submit reports under their real names and to meet with government staff to prevent abuses of the reporting system.
Meanwhile, the Housing Department had received 28 valid reports from property management companies and eight valid reports from security companies about abuses of public housing resources. These reports had helped authorities to retain public housing units, Law said.
Law’s remarks came as the government rolled out a series of measures starting last October to battle public housing abuses amid limited supply of subsidised units. Those targeted are “rich tenants” whose income or assets exceed the maximum amounts allowed for public housing tenants, and those who illegally sublet their units.
Bounty for those reporting
A policy requiring tenants who had been living in public housing units for over 10 years to report their assets and income every two years was revised last year. From last October, all tenants who had lived in public housing units for over two years have been required to declare their income and assets every two years.
Any household whose income exceeds five times the income limit or whose net asset value exceeds 100 times the limit is required to move out of government-subsidised housing. The asset value include the value of vehicles and assets in Hong Kong, mainland China and overseas.
Secretary for Housing Winnie Ho said in a February interview with Beijing-backed newspaper Ta Kung Pao that staff working at public housing estates would monitor vehicles in the parking lot, and would use the Transport Department’s vehicle registry to estimate their value if they identified any luxury cars.
Apart from self-reports, authorities offered incentives for property management companies to report abuses of public housing resources starting from last October. Companies who have made such reports will receive additional points when bidding in the next round of tenders.
Members of the public were also encouraged to report tenants suspected of abusing public housing resources. Law said on Cable TV in late March the Housing Department was planning to offer rewards for those who report abuses of public housing resources.
“By offering some rewards, we could retain the public housing units. It’s a business deal worth doing,” Law said in Cantonese.
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