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The following is issued on behalf of the Housing Authority:
The Housing Authority (HA) has approved the setting up of a Housing Advisory and Service Team (HAST) to assist needy public rental housing (PRH) estate tenants living in Tin Shui Wai.
The HA's Subsidised Housing Committee (SHC) today (January 31) endorsed the above pilot scheme aiming to help new tenants in Tin Shui Wai settle in and encourage a stronger sense of belonging among existing tenants in the district.
ˇ§The setting up of HAST reflected the proactive approach of the HA in fostering community building in Tin Shui Wai and its commitment in providing a comprehensive range of dwelling and ancillary facilities,ˇ¨the Chairman of the SHC, Professor Anthony Cheung Bing-leung said.
ˇ§The HAST will conduct orientation briefings for new tenants and pay home visits to them shortly after they move in to ensure they have settled in smoothly and, where appropriate, will refer needy tenants to the relevant service providers for prompt assistance,ˇ¨Professor Cheung said, noting that some 6,200 new flats are scheduled for completion in Tin Ching Estate in the coming two years.
He noted that HAST will play a proactive role in assisting the 11 Estate Management Advisory Committees in Tin Shui Wai to carry out community building activities.
ˇ§The HAST, as an agent of the Housing Department (HD), can also facilitate the rendering of outreach services to PRH tenants by various departments and local non-governmental organisations,ˇ¨he added.
ˇ§We would specify in the service contract that at least seven of the 10 members of the HAST have to be recruited locally to tap the experience of local residents who have gone through the adjustment process and to create more job opportunities in the district,ˇ¨he said, adding that the effectiveness of this two-year pilot scheme would be reviewed 18 months after commencement of service.
Meanwhile, the SHC noted that tenants' satisfaction with maintenance services in PRH estates continued to increase after the implementation of the Total Maintenance Scheme (TMS).
A survey conducted by an independent consultant commissioned by the HA indicated that the overall satisfaction with repair and maintenance services surged from 36% before TMS in-flat inspection was carried out to 89% after the in-flat inspection was done.
ˇ§The survey also showed that 87% of respondents were very satisfied / satisfied with the performance of the In-flat Inspection Ambassadors (IIAs) appointed under the TMS to provide one-stop service for in-flat inspection and arrange for minor repairs on the spot as required,ˇ¨ Professor Cheung said.
ˇ§The customer satisfaction rate of TMS in-flat inspection and maintenance services is maintained at 83% or above. The result is much higher than the customer satisfaction rates on the overall maintenance services for all PRH estates as obtained in the Public Housing Recurrent Surveys,ˇ¨he said.
ˇ§The higher satisfaction rate obtained in TMS estates clearly indicates that the service-oriented culture in TMS inspection and maintenance services has created a new perception among the tenants,ˇ¨he added.
The TMS, launched in early 2006, adopts a three-pronged approach for maintenance of PRH units which encompasses proactive problem identification and prompt response as well as enhanced public education and promotion.
The scheme has been rolled out to 49 estates as scheduled. Among the 49 estates, repair works for 22 estates were satisfactorily completed and around 87,000 PRH flats have been inspected by the IIAs with a successful access rate of 85%. As at the end of November 2007, a total of 130,000 works items have been repaired.
In noting the above review findings, the SHC approved the revised TMS programme for the coming three years (please refer to the annex).
On the revised programme, Professor Cheung said HD should be able to complete the inspection for all PRH estates in five years as originally planned.ˇ§With the experience gained, we can speed up the pace of inspection when we carry out inspection in new estates,ˇ¨he added.
While noting that more proactive and preventive maintenance works have been carried out under the TMS, he said the HD would continue to enhance the standard of maintenance services and explore further initiatives to enhance the customer service culture.
Ends/Thursday, January 31, 2008
Issued at HKT 17:54
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