July 17, 2013

Residents of industrial building units were not included as target beneficiaries under a Community Care Fund subsidy programme for safety reasons.
 
Secretary for Home Affairs Tsang Tak-sing told lawmakers today the units were not designed for domestic use, so the Government was determined to take enforcement action against such units to ensure residents' safety.
 
“The eligibility criteria are in line with the Government's policy of taking enforcement actions against the use of industrial buildings for domestic use, and are formulated to avoid indirectly encouraging the public to live in accommodation that does not comply with lawful residential purpose.”
 
Mr Tsang said there are views that tenants in units of industrial buildings should be included as target beneficiaries under the re-launched "subsidy for low-income persons who are inadequately housed" programme.
 
He said the fund's task force will reflect these views to the Commission on Poverty.
 
Meanwhile, the programme has successfully reached out to low-income people who do not own any properties, live in public rental housing, and do not receive Comprehensive Social Security Assistance.
 
As at the end of June, the programme benefited 25,725 households, or 58,921 people, involving funds of $149.95 million.
 
Mr Tsang said the fund will relaunch the programme by year's-end, covering low-income senior tenants in private housing.
 
The fund also plans to relax the definition of "inadequately housed" to cover as beneficiaries all private housing residents meeting the income and rental limit requirements as well as other eligibility criteria.