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Housing
$346 to $4,690 per month as at December. Rent adjustments are based on changes in tenants' overall household incomes. The rents are reviewed every two years and the most recent review was completed in July 2016.
Tenants facing temporary financial difficulties are granted rent reductions of 25 or 50 per cent under the Housing Authority's Rent Assistance Scheme. As at end-December, about 17,070 households were recipients.
Better-off Tenants
Higher rents are levied on better-off tenants. As at end-December, about 24,800 households were paying higher rents.
In the light of persistent demand for PRH, the Housing Authority endorsed revisions to the Well- off Tenants Policies and the implementation details in December 2016 and February 2017 respectively. The revised policies were implemented from October 2017. Under the revised policies, households that have lived in PRH for 10 years are required to make declarations every two years. PRH households with income exceeding the prescribed income limits have to pay additional rent. Those that own private domestic property in Hong Kong, or whose family income exceeds five times the income limits, or whose net household assets exceed 100 times the income limits, or that refuse to make a declaration, should vacate their PRH flats.
Estate Clearance
In August, the Housing Authority announced the clearance of six PRH blocks. Blocks 9, 10 and 11 in Pak Tin Estate, Sham Shui Po, are targeted to be cleared by April 2020, and Block 13 is to be cleared by January 2021; a total of about 2,280 households and 10 commercial tenants are involved. Mei Po and Mei Tung House in Mei Tung Estate, Wong Tai Sin, are to be cleared by November 2020, affecting around 630 households and 26 commercial tenants.
Sustainable Public Housing Stock
The Housing Authority adopts a life-cycle maintenance strategy to keep its public housing stock economically, socially and environmentally sound. Under a Total Maintenance Scheme, it proactively inspects conditions within PRH flats and makes minor repairs or improvements on the spot. About 45,000 flats in 33 estates were checked in 2017.
Estates around 40 years old are monitored under the Comprehensive Structural Investigation Programme to ensure they are safe and economically sustainable. The Estate Improvement Programme and lift addition projects serve to provide a good living environment and enhance pedestrian access within estates, respectively.
Allocation
In 2017, about 22,000 PRH flats were allocated. Of the total, about 16,000 were allocated to general applicants and to non-elderly one-person applicants under the QPS, and about 3,700 to existing tenants for various types of transfers. The rest were allocated to other categories, such as applicants for compassionate rehousing and families affected by the government's clearance actions, fire, natural disasters and emergencies.
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