Housing | 205
Sustainable Public Housing Stock
The HKHA has adopted a concept called 'Life Cycle of Public Housing Estates' to ensure that the development of public housing resources is sustained to cater for the housing needs of residents during the life of the estate. A proactive approach to good maintenance, called 'Total Maintenance Scheme' has been in operation since 2006. Under it, Inspection Ambassadors carry out flat inspections and make arrangements on the spot for minor repairs or improvements to flats. The scheme also provides for a flat-to-flat maintenance database, strengthening of research and development in building diagnostic methodology, maintenance technology, and a maintenance hotline. To help tenants to keep their flats in good order, guidelines are displayed in videos, posters and literature along the 'education path' at Tai Wo Hau Estate and in mobile booths in other estates to publicise the maintenance programme. The programme was working well in 66 public rental housing estates at the end of 2008.
The HKHA's Comprehensive Structural Investigation Programme, set up to monitor estates approaching or exceeding 40 years old to make sure they are structurally sound and economically sustainable, is also working well. Of the 10 estates inspected so far, two had to be cleared and eight needed repairs to prolong their lives for 15 years or more. Similar inspections and remedial work will be carried out on 32 other old estates over the next 10 years.
The HKHA has an ongoing 'Estate Improvement Programme' for providing quality service and a good living environment for its tenants.
Allocation
In 2008, about 37 010 public rental housing flats were let by the HKHA and the HKHS to different categories of applicants about 19 820 were new flats and 17 190 refurbished flats. Of these, 61.2 per cent were let to applicants on the public rental housing waiting list, 0.1 per cent to tenants affected by the HKHA's Comprehensive Redevelopment Programme, 7.9 per cent to families affected by estate clearances, 1.4 per cent to junior civil servants, 23.8 per cent to sitting tenants for transfers (including overcrowding relief), and the remainder to victims of fire and natural disasters, compassionate cases recommended by the Social Welfare Department and other applicants.
For ordinary applicants, flats are allocated to them according to their registration number and their choice of districts. For non-elderly one-person applicants, allocation is based on a 'quota and points system' in which priorities depend on the points applicants have as compared with other applicants. The points of an applicant are determined by his or her age, waiting time and whether the applicant is already living in public rental housing. All applicants need to meet Hong Kong's residence requirement as well as undergo a 'Comprehensive Means Test' and a 'Domestic Property Test'. To speed up the letting of some of the less popular flats, the HKHA has introduced an 'Express Flat Allocation Scheme' under which these flats are pooled for selection by eligible applicants on the waiting list. During the year, about 2 120 households were rehoused under the scheme.