The Marking Scheme for Tenancy Enforcement will be reviewed by the end of this year, Deputy Director of Housing Lau Kai-hung says, adding the need to extend the scheme to cover smoking in housing estates' public places will be studied.

Speaking on radio talk shows today, Mr Lau said the marking scheme, launched in 2003, has proven effective, with 3,913 households allotted points at the end of August. Only 114 or about 3% are repeat offenders. Public housing cleanliness also keeps improving.

He noted there were 47 cases of people throwing objects from a height. While closed circuit televisions and retired police officers have been deployed to tackle the problem, he called on public housing tenants to report such cases to the department through its hotline, 2712 2712.

Regarding a Yau Oi Estate tenant who had been allotted 17 penalty points under the marking scheme, Mr Lau said his eviction will be enforced within a month. The tenant can apply for interim housing, if he is eligible.

He pointed out express flat allocation arrangements will not be offered to the tenant if he commits offences under the marking scheme during his stay in the interim housing.

Measures to tackle rent arrears mooted

Turning to the proposed measures for tackling the problem of rent arrears in public rental housing, Mr Lau said the measures, if fully implemented, can help improve the situation.

Under the proposal, habitual late rent payers who have been paying their public housing rents in arrears consecutively for three months, not four, may have their tenancies terminated.

Moreover, tenants who leave public rental housing without paying rent arrears will have to clear all outstanding rent arrears before they are allowed to return to public rental housing. The Social Welfare Department can pay the rent allowance for households receiving social security directly to the Housing Department.

The Housing Authority's Subsidised Housing Committee will discuss these proposed measures at a meeting on September 29.