When the government initiated a fresh crackdown on public housing abuses last year, the public wondered whether it was just another round of all talk but no action. Months have passed and the campaign appears to have made some progress.
While it is good that officials have toughened up, it also underlines the scale of the problem. More vigorous efforts must be made to evict those who are no longer eligible for subsidies.
Of the 88,000 tenants covered in the first phase of checks, more than 99.6 per cent have complied with declarations on properties and other requirements. As many as 330 rental flats have been taken back as a result.
Overall, some 2,200 units have been repossessed between last April and December due to abuses or lease breaches.
A random inspection on 30,000 households found that 40 tenants owned a property in the city without notifying the authority, while another six had made declarations. The cases are being followed up with notices of eviction or prosecutions.
Currently, tenants with private properties must give up their rental flats, while those convicted of knowingly giving false declarations can face a fine and imprisonment.
We do not know whether this is just the tip of the iceberg. The authorities are still reaching out to 350 households who failed to return the declaration, including 100 which were uncontactable despite home visits and letters – a situation described as problematic by officials.
It would not be surprising if more irregularities are unearthed when the declaration campaign widens to another 250,000 households in April.
Officials have rightly stepped up enforcement action, including talks with the Guangdong authorities for a regular inspection mechanism for properties owned by Hong Kong public housing tenants.
Separately, local property management agencies which identify abuses will stand a better chance of securing contract renewals by the Housing Authority.
A monetary reward scheme for reporting abuses is also under consideration.
The crackdown must continue to ensure those who no longer deserve subsidies vacate their flats to make room for the more needy.