District 18 News
Written by: District Licheng
2021-04-29 16:50
Last update date: 2021-04-29 16:50
The housing problem at the grassroots level in Hong Kong is serious. The current waiting time for public housing is 5.6 years on average.
The government earlier proposed a three-year cash subsidy pilot program in the "Policy Address", that is, grassroots families who have been waiting for public housing for more than three years can receive cash subsidies from the government.
A group recently conducted a survey of potential applicants for the allowance and found that most of the interviewees were unable to benefit from the scheme due to excessive allowance restrictions. They urged the government to lower the application threshold.
Those who are currently eligible to apply for the "Cash Allowance Pilot Scheme" must be general households on the waiting list for public housing (ie households with two or more persons and one-person applicants for the elderly, excluding non-elderly one-person applicants); Waiting for public housing for more than 3 years, have not received CSSA, have not been allocated public housing for the first time, and are not living in public housing. Some families who have been waiting for public housing for less than three years and non-elderly single persons under 60 have not Can benefit from the current plan.
According to the survey results, nearly half of the respondents’ rental units had increased rents in the past two years, believing that subsidies would help reduce economic pressure; nearly 70% of the respondents indicated that rent increases were the main reason for relocation.
(Follow the pictures provided by the grassroots housing joint)
The Concern for Grassroots Housing Joint and the Concern for CSSA Low-Income Coalition conducted a survey from April 14 to 24, using questionnaires to understand the reasons and opinions of citizens who have the opportunity or are applying for public housing, and finally collected 183 valid questionnaires.
The results indicated that nearly half of the respondents had rented units that had increased rents in the past two years, believing that subsidies would help reduce economic pressure; nearly 70% of the respondents indicated that rent increases were the main reason for relocation.
Respondents think that it is best to get the subsidy until they go upstairs. They hope that the government can reduce the application restrictions and benefit more people.
(Follow the pictures provided by the grassroots housing joint)
Most of the interviewees think that the application threshold set by the government is too high. 82.5% of the interviewees agree that as long as they are waiting for public housing, they can apply for the "Cash Allowance Pilot Scheme", and there is no need to set a limit on the waiting period for public housing.
80.3% of the interviewees agreed that there is no need to meet the requirements for public housing not allocated for the first time.
Respondents think that it is best to get the subsidy until they go upstairs. They hope that the government can reduce the application restrictions and benefit more people.
In addition, 95.6% of the respondents agreed that the "Cash Allowance Pilot Scheme" should be a regular allowance.
The Coalition of Concern for Grassroots Housing suggests that the government should lower the threshold for applying for the cash subsidy pilot scheme, such as abolishing the qualifications for waiting for public housing and the limit on the number of allocations of public housing, as long as those who are waiting for public housing can apply.
(Follow the pictures provided by the grassroots housing joint)
The Coalition of Concern for Grassroots Housing suggests that the government should lower the threshold for applying for the cash subsidy pilot scheme, such as abolishing the qualifications for waiting for public housing and the limit on the number of allocations of public housing, as long as those who are waiting for public housing can apply.
In addition, they also suggested that the government should follow the previous practices of the "Employment Encouragement Transport Subsidy Scheme" and the "Working Family Allowance Scheme" and implement the "Cash Allowance Pilot Scheme" and "Low-income Non-Public Housing and Non-CSSA" in a two-track parallel manner. Household one-off living allowance" (N no allowance), and regularize it so that people with different qualifications can apply.
The joint team also believes that the subsidy should be reviewed at an appropriate time after its implementation. For example, a review mechanism should be established once a year to make the application threshold and subsidy amount more closely follow the current social conditions.
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Basic Housing Policy Subsidized Housing Public Housing Policy Public Housing Waiting for Public Housing