THE Housing Department has appointed three private consultants to speed up the process of refurbishing vacant flats in public housing estates.
The department had been doing the work since the scheme started, said Mr Robin Carpenter, assistant director of the maintenance division.
But its staff resources were now ''stretched to the limit'', he said.
Mr Carpenter said the department had taken on board a very large refurbishment programme.
It was not just flats that were empty at the moment but also those that would become vacant in the normal course of events.
The three consultants, Vigers, Chesterton Petty and Wayfoong, have been appointed to reinforce the existing maintenance team.
Housing manager for lettings Mr Kok Siu-hang said his department had referred 6,330 flats for refurbishment since September last year.