The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Housing Authority:
 
     The Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA) today (December 16) invites applications for a trial scheme by which under-occupation households residing in the HA's public rental housing (PRH) estates whose family members are all aged 70 or above are allowed to enjoy full rent exemptions upon transfer to other PRH flats of suitable sizes.
 
     The initiative, which aims at enhancing the effective use of public housing resources, was suggested in the Policy Address 2018, and was approved by the Subsidised Housing Committee of the HA at its meeting in June.
 
     The HA will allocate 300 PRH flats for the trial scheme. Eligible applicants will be given a maximum of three housing offers of either a new or refurbished flat.
 
     "We hope to offer a choice to elderly under-occupation households, while helping recovery of larger units for re-allocation," a spokesman for the HA said.
 
     "A one-off domestic removal allowance will be provided to households upon successful transfer.
 
     "The rent exemption will be withdrawn if a household subsequently fails the eligibility criterion that all members of the household are aged 70 or above, or when additional resources are given to them under different housing policies, such as household splitting," the spokesman said.
 
     The trial scheme will be reviewed after its implementation for one year, he added.
 
     Notification letters will be served to individual eligible households. Applications are open throughout the year with a limited quota and on a first-come-first-served basis.

Ends/Monday, December 16, 2019
Issued at HKT 16:00

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