Lease Plan For The Poor Still Stuck After Two Years

The Housing Society on Saturday revealed that only one unit had been leased under a scheme it introduced almost two years ago to help needy families who are waiting for public housing.

The scheme, launched in September 2018, initially allowed owners of 350,000 subsidised flat to rent out their spare bedroom without having to pay a premium back to the society.

After that failed to takeoff, the society “improved” the scheme by the end of last year, allowing flat owners to let the entire units to people queuing for public housing.

Speaking on an RTHK programme, the society’s CEO, James Chan, said the first unit that was finally let out last week under the new scheme is located in Wong Tai Sin. He said it is a two-bedroom flat leased at HK$6,500.

He blamed the coronavirus pandemic for the delay as they were unable to meet the potential tenants to vet their applications, despite having received 300 applications from flat owners and 500 applications from prospective tenants.

Meanwhile, Chan said a series of rent waivers and relief measures offered to tenants of flats and shops under the Housing Society would lead to a drop of HK240 million in its revenue.

He said a review would be carried out in July or August to see if the rents could be frozen amid the economic downturn.

“We have to see the latest economic situation as well as the affordability of our tenants before coming to a conclusion,” he said.