The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Housing Authority:
 
     The Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA) today (November 22) announced that if public housing tenants face short-term financial difficulties with rent in arrears, they may submit applications to the HA for withholding the issuance of a Notice-to-Quit (NTQ). If the applications are approved, the HA will temporarily withhold issuing an NTQ to the tenants concerned from November 2020 to March 2021.
 
     In view of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the HA has already temporarily withheld the issuance of an NTQ to those tenants who encountered temporary financial hardship with rent in arrears during the period between May and October this year.
 
     "Given that the economic and employment situation continues to be affected by the ongoing pandemic, the HA decided to extend the temporary measure to withhold the issuance of an NTQ in a bid to help those tenants having financial problems to get through the hardship," a spokesman for the HA said.
 
     In addition, the HA has all along been providing assistance to tenants who are facing temporary financial difficulties through the Rent Assistance Scheme (RAS). Under the scheme, eligible applicants will be granted either a 50 per cent or 25 per cent rent reduction for a period of two years.
 
     "The eligibility of all RAS beneficiaries is reviewed biennially to determine whether rent assistance should continue to be granted to them," the spokesman said.
 
     "RAS beneficiaries should take the initiative to inform the HA for a review of their eligibility when there is an increase in their household income or a change in number of family members."
 
     The spokesman stressed that the HA will also conduct random checking to guard against possible abuse.

Ends/Sunday, November 22, 2020
Issued at HKT 11:00

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