Public flat tenants warned not to ignore declarations
Public flat residents are being warned they could end up losing their homes if they don't make declarations in the coming weeks regarding any property they own. On Thursday, the government said around 88,000 declaration forms have been sent out in the past few days, under new rules aimed at curbing abuse of housing resources. Such declarations will have to be made every two years and residents must also confirm that they have actually been living in their public unit. Permanent Secretary for Housing Rosanna Law said if people don't return their completed form by the end of November, they may be regarded as having rejected or intentionally neglected the declaration requirement, and this could result in their tenancy being terminated. Law noted that public housing is a scarce resource, with many people in the queue for such a home. "If you have the opportunity to own a home, there is a requirement for tenants of public rental housing to make a declaration within one month of moving in. But, it seems that people have not been cautious about this requirement in the past," Law said on an RTHK programme. "So, we will now require and remind all tenants to make the declaration every two years. This way, tenants will not have excuses, such as not being aware of the declaration or forgetting to fulfil it." Tenants over 60, people receiving Comprehensive Social Security Assistance and those eligible for Disability Allowance only need to declare whether they have been living in their public flat.