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公共房屋是很多香港市民的居所，各位老友記又是否知道，現時有多少人住在公屋？答案是超過二百萬人。這一節「長者法網智多聲」，就跟大家說說有關公屋的事。
香港房屋委員會設有公屋輪候冊，讓合資格的申請人租住公屋。家中有長者、足夠歲數的單身長者、及同意一同居住的長者，都可以獲安排優先編配公屋。
在公屋資源許可的情況下，房委會可以讓公屋住戶調遷，其中一項計劃，就可以安排年輕的公屋租戶搬近些年長父母，方便照顧。
除了申請公屋和調遷會有特別處理，入住公屋單位的長者，符合資格的話，還可以申請津貼，在家中安裝緊急警報系統，亦即平安鐘。
如果經濟有困難，付不起租金，當局亦有租金援助計劃。相反，公屋租戶經濟好些，不需要資助，當局就會減少房屋資助。根據公屋住戶資助政策，住滿十年的公屋或中轉房屋住戶，每兩年就要申報全家入息一次，家庭總收入超過資助入息限額的住戶，就要按情況多付些租，不申報的話，就要繳付雙倍租金。
另外，房委會每兩年會檢討公屋租金，並且每月抽樣二千個公屋住戶進行調查，獲選的住戶是要強制申報入息的，而且必須要如實申報資料，如果漏報瞞報都屬犯法，嚴重的可以被判監。
作為公屋租戶當然要負責任了，好像是要保持單位及環境衛生和清潔、不可以破壞公眾設施等，詳細內容可以參考房委會的公營房屋政策。
針對屋邨環境衛生問題，房屋署在03年推出「屋邨清潔扣分制」，即現時的「屋邨管理扣分制」，列出28項不當行為，包括噪音滋擾、亂拋垃圾等，如果違規，住戶可以被扣3至15分，兩年內累積扣滿16分，租約或暫准證就會被終止，兩年之內不能再申請公屋。
除了扣分制，租戶如果濫用公屋資源，被證實之後，不單會被終止租約，還可能會被檢控。濫用公屋包括分租或轉租單位、丟空單位、將單位用作非住宅用途，甚至進行不法活動等。如果情況嚴重，房委會還可以即時終止租戶的租約。所以，千萬不要在公屋內藏有私煙或毒品，或在單位內非法聚賭，因為除了犯法之外，還隨時被當局收回公屋單位，連累家人也沒有地方住。
有關公屋的問題，大家除了可以參考長者社區法網文字版之外，還可以向房委會查詢。多謝大家收聽。
PrintSpecial arrangements for elderly tenants
Emergency Alarm System (“EAS”)
Elderly persons living either alone or in a household with all members aged 60 or above in a public rental flat may apply to the Social Welfare Department for a special grant for the installation of an EAS if they are Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) recipients. If they are not receiving CSSA, they may apply to the Housing Department for an EAS Grant if they satisfy the following requirements.
- living alone or in household with all members aged 60 or above; and
- (a) aged 65 or over, having an income and asset not exceeding the prescribed; or (b) if aged 60-64, having an income and asset not exceeding the prescribed limits and are certified by a public medical officer to be more than 50% disabled or suffering from such medical conditions which could develop life threatening conditions as to require immediate attention (medical certification for those receiving disability allowance from the Social Welfare Department for being 100% disabled or in need of constant attendance is not necessary).
Rent Allowance
The Rent Allowance for Elderly Scheme (RAES) was launched as a pilot scheme in August 2001 to provide elderly applicants with an arrangement to receive a cash rent allowance to lease private accommodation in lieu of public rental housing (PRH).
The HA’s Subsidised Housing Committee agreed on 25 September 2003 to phase out the pilot RAES and no longer accept new applications.
Existing beneficiaries, upon expiry of their current private leases, can opt for PRH units or a cash rent allowance provided that they still meet the present eligibility criteria.