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The following is issued on behalf of the Housing Authority:
Three more hygiene-related misdeeds will be added to the "Marking Scheme for Estate Management Enforcement in Public Housing Estates" (Marking Scheme, formerly known as Marking Scheme for Environmental Hygiene Tenancy Enforcement in Public Rental Housing Estates) bringing the total number of penalty point-allotted misdeeds to 25.
The new misdeeds are:-
(a) Causing noise nuisance (5 points);
(b) Damaging or stealing Housing Authority's property (7 points); and
(c) Smoking or carrying a lighted cigarette in enclosed common areas including public lifts, lift lobbies, corridors and staircases, etc., in a domestic building (5 points).
Members of the Housing Authority's (HA) Subsidised Housing Committee (SHC) today (October 17th) endorsed the three new misdeeds to be included in the Marking Scheme and three adjustments of penalty to fine-tune the scheme.
The adjustments are:-
(a) demerit points for accumulating a large quantity of refuse or waste inside leased premises, creating offensive smell and hygienic nuisance will be increased from five to seven penalty points;
(b) extending the issue of Notice-to-Quit to terminate the tenancies of those households that have thrown objects from height that are prone to cause injury or death by invoking Section 19 (1)(b) of the Housing Ordinance; and
(c) the warning mechanism should be further simplified to one written warning only.
The new measures will take effect from January 1st, 2007.
"Since the implementation of the Marking Scheme in August 2003, sustained improvement in environmental hygiene of public housing estates has been achieved," the Chairman of the SHC, Mr. Choi Ngai-min, said.
He noted that Public Housing Recurrent Surveys found that tenants' satisfaction over estate cleanliness had increased from 52.1 per cent in 2003 to 68.6 per cent in 2006.
¡§Some 96.6 per cent of our tenants are aware of the Marking Scheme while some 83.4 per cent have also expressed that the scheme can improve the cleanliness of PRH estates,¡¨ Mr. Choi said.
¡§The number of complaints on cleansing, hygiene and nuisance-related matters dropped by 60 per cent from 287 in the first quarter of 2005 to 114 in the second quarter of 2006,¡¨ he said.
As at the end of August this year, 5,048 allotments of penalty points involving 4,889 households were recorded. Of them, 148 households or three per cent have accumulated 10 points or more due to commitment of two or more misdeeds. When 16 points have been allotted to a household within two years, the subject tenancy will be terminated.
So far, eight households have accrued 16 or more penalty points. One household surrendered the flat voluntarily. The remaining seven households were served with Notices-To-Quit (NTQs).
Of the households served with NTQs, one household surrendered the flat without appeal. The remaining six households appealed to the Appeal Panel (Housing). Two NTQs had been amended by the Appeal Panel and subsequently cancelled after a period of good behaviour. Another two NTQ cases were confirmed. Two cases were arranged for hearing before the Appeal Panel. Four flats were recovered.
Following is the list of misdeeds under the Marking Scheme with effect from 1 January 2007:-
Category A (3 penalty points)
A1* Drying clothes in public areas (except in areas designated by HD)
A2* Utilising laundry pole-holders for drying floor mop
A3* Putting dripping flower pots or dripping laundry at balconies
A4* Dripping oil from exhaust fan
Category B (5 penalty points)
B1 Littering
B2 Disposing of domestic refuse indiscriminately, such as improper disposal in lift lobbies or inside bins without cover
B3 Keeping animal, bird or livestock inside leased premises without prior written consent of the Landlord
B4 Allowing animal and livestock under charge to foul public places with faeces
B7* Obstructing corridors or stairs with sundry items rendering cleansing difficult
B8 Boiling wax in public areas
B9* Causing mosquito breeding by accumulating stagnant water
B10 Smoking or carrying a lighted cigarette in enclosed common areas including lifts, lift lobbies, corridors and staircases, etc., in a domestic building
B11* Causing noise nuisance
Category C (7 penalty points)
C1 Throwing objects from height that jeopardize environmental hygiene
C2 Spitting in public areas
C3 Urinating and defecating in public places
C4 Dumping or disposing of decoration debris indiscriminately at refuse collection point, within building or in other public areas
C5* Denying HD staff or staff representing HD entry for repairs responsible by HD
C6* Refusing repair of leaking pipes or sanitary fittings responsible by the tenant
C7* Damaging down/sewage pipes causing leakage to the flat below
C8 Using leased premises as food factory or storage
C9 Illegal hawking of cooked food
C10 Damaging or stealing Housing Authority's property
C11* Accumulating a large quantity of refuse or waste inside leased premises, creating offensive smell and hygienic nuisance
Category D (15 penalty points)
D1 Throwing objects from height that may cause danger or personal injury
* Warning System is in place for these misdeeds. Penalty points will only be allotted if the offender ignores one written warning and repeats the same misdeed for the second time and onwards.
At today's meeting, members also agreed that the Marking Scheme for Environmental Hygiene Tenancy Enforcement in Public Rental Housing Estates be renamed as "Marking Scheme for Estate Management Enforcement in Public Housing Estates".
Ends/Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Issued at HKT 19:30
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