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The following is issued jointly by the Housing Department and Social Welfare Department:
The rent allowance granted to public rental housing and interim housing households under the Comprehensive Social Security Assistance Scheme (CSSA households) will be transferred directly from the Social Welfare Department to the Housing Authority from June 1.
Housing statistics show that out of the some 650,000 households, about 132,000 (20%) are receiving the CSSA. As in April 2007, about 4,100 of these households had rent in arrears.
"The problem of rent in arrears is not entirely related to the affordability of tenants because the rent of CSSA households is met by the rent allowance included in the CSSA payments," a spokesman for the Housing Department said today (May 15).
"We hope the problem of rent payment default will be alleviated when the direct payment arrangement becomes effective," the spokesman said.
CSSA households that are receiving rent allowance covering full monthly rent payment and not in default of any rent payment can stop paying their rent at the Estate Office starting from next month.
For CSSA households who are receiving rent allowance that only partially covers their monthly rent, or whose monthly CSSA payment is less than the rent allowance, they are still required to settle the remaining balance at the Estate Office or other rent paying channels such as 7-Eleven convenience stores and MTR stations starting from next month.
For enquiries regarding this new arrangement, tenants can call the Housing Department Hotline at 2712 2712 or contact the Estate Offices. CSSA households can also call Social Welfare Department's special hotlines at 3575 8401 or 3575 8402 from 8.45am to 1pm and 2pm to 6pm from Mondays to Fridays.
Ends/Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Issued at HKT 16:16
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