The Housing Authority today announced that there will be a 1.17% rise in public housing rent from October 1 and it will provide a special relief measure for tenants by waiving the extra rent payable in the first 12 months following the rent adjustment.

The announcement came after the authority's Subsidised Housing Committee endorsed the outcome of the 2022 rent review of public rental housing (PRH) today.

According to the rent adjustment mechanism stipulated under the Housing Ordinance, PRH rent is reviewed every two years.

A report compiled by the Commissioner for Census & Statistics for the rent review showed that the income index of 2021 was 1.17% higher than that of 2019. Therefore, PRH rent will be adjusted upwards by the same percentage.

The increase will be about $26 per month on average, ranging from $5 to $66.

Notwithstanding the mild rent increase, members of the committee were mindful that the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic may pose economic difficulties for PRH tenants.

Given this special situation, the committee considers it not unreasonable to provide a relief measure to ameliorate the possible economic burden on tenants which may be brought by the rent increase.

Having regard to the extent of the rent increase as well as the impact on PRH tenants and the authority's financial position, the committee decided to provide tenants with a waiver of the extra rent payable each month in the first 12 months following the rent adjustment.

Such a measure will result in a total of $262 million of rental income foregone for the authority.

Noting that the rent adjustment will take effect from October 1, the authority said it will notify all tenants in writing one month in advance.