ENG-2013 — Page 227

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Housing

Better-off Tenants

Better-off tenants are required to pay higher rents. At the end of December, about 21,500 households were paying higher rents. Tenants who have lived in public housing estates for 10 years or more have to declare household income biennially. Those with a household income exceeding the prescribed income limit set by the HKHA or who choose not to declare their income have to pay additional rent. Households with total household income and net assets both exceeding the prescribed income and asset limits, or those who choose not to declare their household assets, are required to move out.

Estate Clearance

The clearance of Block 22, Tung Tau (1) Estate, was completed in March and some 1,700 people from 850 families were re-housed. Clearance of Blocks 1, 2, 3 and 12 of Pak Tin Estate is scheduled to be completed in April 2014. Of around 2,900 people from 900 families who have to move out, about 2,800 people from 880 families were re-housed by the end of December 2013.

Sustainable Public Housing Stock

The HKHA adopts a life-cycle maintenance strategy to keep its public housing stock. economically, socially and environmentally stable. Under its Total Maintenance Scheme (TMS) introduced in 2006, flats are checked and arrangements made on the spot for minor repairs or improvements. Repairs and improvements were made to 177 estates in the first cycle. The second cycle was launched in 2011 and TMS inspections commenced in 29 estates in 2013.

Estates over, or approaching, 40 years old are monitored under the HKHA's Comprehensive. Structural Investigation Programme to ensure they are safe to live in and are economically sustainable.

The HKHA has an ongoing 'Estate Improvement Programme' to provide good quality service and a good living environment for its tenants. It also has a lift installation programme to improve accessibility within estates and beside existing footbridges.

Allocation

In 2013, about 29,200 PRH flats were allocated to various re-housing categories by the HKHA. About 14,500 of these were new flats and about 14,700 were refurbished flats. Of the total, about 70 per cent were allocated to applicants on the PRH waiting list, 19 per cent to sitting tenants for transfers (including overcrowding relief), about one per cent to families affected by estate clearances, about three per cent to junior civil servants, and the remainder to those affected by squatter clearances, removal of rooftop structures, fire, natural disasters and emergencies, and compassionate cases recommended by the Social Welfare Department, and other applicants.

Apart from non-elderly one-person applicants, flats are allocated to applicants on the waiting. list according to their registration priority and their choice of districts. For non-elderly one- person applicants, allocation is based on the Quota and Points System in which priority is determined by the applicant's age at the time of registration, waiting time and whether he or

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