A spokesman for the Housing Department (HD) today (August 4) reminded residents of public rental housing (PRH) estates to declare truthfully their income and assets.
A PRH resident living at Lok Fu Estate declared on a Income and Asset Declaration Form in 2019 to own no domestic property in Hong Kong. A subsequent investigation revealed that the resident individually owned a domestic property at Baguio Villa, Pok Fu Lam, at the material time. She was therefore ineligible for living in the PRH unit and was prosecuted by the HD for neglecting to furnish information specified in the Income and Asset Declaration Form, contrary to Section 27 (a) of the Housing Ordinance.
The defendant was convicted by the presiding magistrate in Kowloon City Magistrates' Courts yesterday. Having considered the gravity of the offence, the defendant was sentenced to two months' imprisonment suspended for one year.
The spokesman said that households living in PRH should complete the Income and Asset Declaration Forms accurately, which are used for laying the foundation for the assessment of rent and their eligibility for continuing residence. Before making declarations, households should read the content and completion guidelines of the Income and Asset Declaration Form carefully and compute their income and assets in accordance with the methods specified. Otherwise, they may be prosecuted for making a false statement knowingly, contrary to Section 26(1) (a) of the Housing Ordinance (if convicted, the maximum penalty is a $50,000 fine and imprisonment for six months) or be prosecuted for neglecting to furnish information as specified in a declaration form, contrary to Section 27 (a) of the Housing Ordinance (if convicted, the maximum penalty is a $25,000 fine and imprisonment for three months).
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