Editorial | Hong Kong must crack down on public housing abuse with compassion

There can be no dispute that the pair had breached the declaration rules; they were found to have failed to report two assets between 2015 and 2017. But questions are being asked whether their medical conditions should have been taken into account when the Housing Authority’s appeal panel upheld the decision in February for the family to vacate their rental unit in Tin Shui Wai.

The woman reportedly suffered from bipolar disorder while her son was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia. She fell to her death in April, followed by her son in July, while waiting for the outcome of their application for interim housing.

In response, Housing Secretary Winnie Ho Wing-yin pledged to adopt a more “humane” approach to eviction cases involving tenants with mental health issues. She said the government would “seriously review and carefully explore ways to further improve and optimise its work guidelines and procedures, especially for cases involving tenants with special needs”. The appeal panel, largely composed of people from the legal and social work sectors, would also incorporate more members with a medical background. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu also agreed that the scheme had room for improvement.

The promise by the housing minister cannot undo the tragedy, of course. But it recognises the need for greater sensitivity and compassion when handling cases with special circumstances. This is especially important as more households with genuine difficulties may be caught by the crackdown. The number of appeals is also rising, up from 861 in 2021-22 to 2,045 in 2024-25.

That is not to say the government should soften its stance on those who violated the fair use of scarce public resources. The requirement for households to regularly declare incomes and assets has proved to be an effective way to screen out those who no longer stay within the eligibility threshold for being subsidised.