【英國房屋法對劏房租管的啟示】
政府委任的劏房租務管制研究工作小組(劏房租管小組)提交劏房租務管制方案,並計劃會在今年立法會任期內完成立法。然而,方案似乎與社會訴求存在巨大落差,「租管」聽起來強硬,實際上是否有心無力? 本文嘗試列出其中主要爭議,並提議借鏡英國房屋法(Housing Act)的立法經驗,對照出政府現時提議的缺陷。
對劏房的環境問題放軟手腳
劏房普遍存在不少居住環境問題。大部分劏房沒有安裝官方的水電錶,因而須向業主付額外水電費﹔結構及安全方面,額外的牆壁和地台有機會對樓面造成超載、地板下不時有複雜的水渠走線、開放式廚房均沒有安裝防火牆、煙霧感應器等的消防安全要求﹔還有舉世知名的衛生極端情況﹕廚廁合一、廁所閣樓、天花板鼠患等不一而足。現有方案期望以「標準租約」(註1),透過業主與租客之間的租約條款,改善水電雜費等問題,預期不會有顯著效果。
針對上述情況,運房局局長陳帆稱現時已有建築物條例監管劏房,所以不需要再「架床疊屋」的說辭推搪。然而,局長口中的現行政策和執法方式根本形同虛設。屋宇署最新的目標巡查及糾正數目(註2),規模分別佔2020年的劏房整體數目的1.6%和0.24%(註3),2014年後推行的劏房小型工程登記方面,2016年劏房工程登記完工證數目只佔劏房增加數目的2%(註4)。劏房租管小組先天性不足,一開始已訂明並不處理劏房最嚴重的生活環境問題,進一步合理化了現況的問題。
英國房屋法的啟示
香港的房屋問題裹足不前,反觀英國房屋法(Housing Law)多年來續步完善。早年因應規管房屋市場的需要,續步發展出獨立於舊有業主與租客條例的法律條文和主體。其中房屋法的倡議者致力建議法庭,在原來做法較陝義和診斷式(clinical)的擁有權(proprietrorial rights)評估基礎之外,視房屋為影響別人生活的重大因素(註5)。其中重要的發展包括﹕1977年確立無家者的房屋權、80年確立置業權(right to buy)的同時確立了議會房屋(council housing)租戶的租住權保障(security of tenure),並且續步發展至涵蓋更多房屋議題面向的法例。
而房屋法最新發展,強調租客作為消費者的身分(tennant as consumer),超越了單純以業主與租客對立思維。房屋作為業主提供的服務或產品。法律背後的精神類似其他行業和商業情況下的法規,以保障消費者為目的,視租務市場為產品進行監管,著眼於房屋的基本質素和安全等方面,將之作為消費者法例的其中一環。
其中最明顯的例子,是2004年推出的房屋法,訂立的房屋健康及安全評分制度(Housing Health and safety rating system)(註14),用以評估房屋單位對健康及安全的潛在風險,並統計了不同隱患對不同人的潛在風險,提出了避免方法,並在標準租約中規訂業主出租的單位,須達到房屋健康及安全評分制度的基本要求。
針對劏房單位質素的評分制度
針對本港劏房居住環境欠佳的問題,若仿傚英國設立一套有法律效力,按劏房單位質素的評分制度,有如監察食物是否健康安全的營養標籤。便可以在劏房的標準租約中,列明業主的義務包括﹕提供達到基本評分的單位。以具體可執行的政策,針對現時劏房的普遍的問題續項評分,供租客參考,並強制達基本要求,例如﹕出租時不可有老鼠跡象。相反,按現時建議單單以標準租約提出,亦難有人重視。
假如落實以成文法針對劏房的基本設備和質素規管,其實並不能簡化成純粹使劏房戶得益,犧牲業主利益的政策。有關政策背後,提供誘因提升私人租住市場的服務質素,取締提供惡劣居住環境的房屋的情況,其實亦有助整體租住市場的專業化。即使對象僅是房屋市場某細版塊,亦能體現政策思維上的進步。
相反,劏房租管委員會經常強調即使建議劏房租管,亦必須平衡業主與租客利益,姿態上想顯得客觀中立,其實未有擺脫業主與租客零和博弈的思維,保護既得利益之餘,亦傾向少做少錯的因循保守做法,實際效果是就劏房問題大致維持現狀甚至惡化,值得思考這結果是否政府所樂見。
註1﹕立法會CB(1)504/20-21(06)號文件,「劏房」租務管制研究工作小組的工作進展
註2﹕2020-2021年財政預算案,屋宇署總目收入分析。
註3﹕2020年長遠房屋策略估算劏房數目為99 400個。
註4﹕本土研究社﹕2014-16年 劏房總數與劏房工程「完工證明書」, 2013-2017年劏房工程「展開通知書」和 「完工證明書」: https://goo.gl/oqJqAj
註5﹕Susan Bright (ed.) , Landlord and Tenant Law Past, Present and Future.
註6﹕Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, Housing Health and Safety Rating System: Operating Guidance.
同時也有2部Youtube影片,追蹤數超過4萬的網紅Culture Trip,也在其Youtube影片中提到,The Budapest Bike Maffia is among Hungary’s fastest-growing charitable organisations; it was established at Christmas in 2011 by a small group of youn...
council housing 在 國發會 Facebook 的最佳貼文
【台灣就業金卡辦公室首曝光!啟動外國人才一條龍服務】
全球疫情仍然險峻,有外國的優秀人才要來安全的台灣工作,但找不到窗口嗎?
國發會於去年10月設立「台灣就業金卡辦公室」,提供外籍高階人才來台從工作到生活的 #一條龍專案服務,默默營運至今已三個多月。
金卡辦公室設立以來,透過臉書社團、Email、電話及實體面談諮詢等方式,已服務超過1,100人次,內容包括來台前諮詢、申辦就業金卡,以及後續在台 #就業媒合、 #租屋、 #貸款、 #依親 及 #子女就學 等各項服務。
國發會同時也辦理多場協助持卡人對接 #台灣新創 或 #產業資源 之相關活動,除有效協助持卡人快速融入在台的工作與生活外,也藉此蒐集持卡人反饋意見,做為政策調整之依據。
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【NDC‘s Taiwan Employment Gold Card Office to serve as a single point of contact for the recruitment and assistance of foreign professionals working in Taiwan】
Deputy Minister Shih of the National Development Council has officially introduced the Taiwan Employment Gold Card Office (Gold Card Office), a single point of contact for the recruitment and assistance of foreign professionals working in Taiwan, under the Act for the Recruitment and Employment of Foreign Professionals to public. The office is located within the NDC building on Baoqing Road, and provides foreign talents with one-stop services including pre-arrival consulting, application process, matchmaking for work, housing, loans, family related services and more.
The Gold Card Office has been in operation since October 2020. Within these 2 months, it has served more than 1,100 people through the Gold Card Facebook group, email, telephone and physical office hours. The office has also held multiple events connecting Gold Card Holders with Taiwanese startups and industry related resources. It has already become one of the most important bridges between Gold Card Holders and the government. In addition to effectively helping Gold Card Holders with work and life in Taiwan, this is also a great opportunity to collect feedback from them as a basis for government policy adjustments.
The first phase of the Taiwan Employment Gold Card office website (https://goldcard.nat.gov.tw/zh/) has been launched. The official version is expected to be launched in March. If you or your friends have questions regarding the Gold Card, please email us at help@taiwangoldcard.tw or call our hotline at 02-7733-7660.
#NDC #EmploymentGoldCard #TaiwanGoldCardOffice
council housing 在 Lee Hsien Loong Facebook 的最佳貼文
Ang Hin Kee
Mr Ang Hin Kee is retiring as a Member of Parliament, after serving as an MP for Ang Mo Kio GRC for the past 9 years.
Hin Kee took charge of Cheng San-Seletar ward. He built strong bonds with residents and business owners and made many improvements to the area, which has a mix of private residences and HDB neighbourhoods.
Hin Kee worked closely with government agencies, to take care of the needs of families and seniors in the neighbourhood. He was instrumental in improving bus networks and transport facilities. He arranged for Ang Mo Kio GRC to have 3 new bus services, extra buses on 26 more services and 4 amended bus services. In Cheng San-Seletar, his projects included:
- Home Improvement Programme works at Cheng San Zone A and Zone B RCs.
- Projects to enhance the well-being of seniors with Cornerstone Community Services at Block 591 Ang Mo Kio Street 51 Zone “C” and Touch Community Services at Zone B.
- The “Be Seen, Be Safe!” programme to educate residents on road safety, especially the elderly and children
- Promotion of health, safety and security at private housing estates and condominiums, for example through CPR training and AED installation.
Hin Kee served as Chairman of Ang Mo Kio Town Council from 2015 to 2020. Under his leadership, the Town Council embarked on many schemes to benefit residents, including building 12km of footpaths and shared paths, to linking-up cycling tracks and park connectors.
He significantly improved lift services and reliability across the Town Council. 125 blocks had their lift parts replaced and the average number of chronic lift cases per month was reduced by more than 80% from 2016 to 2020.
The Ang Mo Kio Team would like to thank Hin Kee for the dedication and hard work, and wish him all the very best as he retires as an MP.
council housing 在 Culture Trip Youtube 的精選貼文
The Budapest Bike Maffia is among Hungary’s fastest-growing charitable organisations; it was established at Christmas in 2011 by a small group of young cyclists.
Today, its key mission is the distribution of food and fundraising, focussing on helping those who are homeless and families in need. Each year, the BBM team – made up of over 100 volunteers – take to their bikes to distribute over 100,000 meals, in addition to operating 12 innovative charity projects.
These include Sweet Home, which sees volunteers working to create comfortable homes for local families living in council housing; the Seeds of Hope gardening project; and the BBM 50! initiative, which has the goal of increasing empathy and changing negative attitudes towards Budapest’s homeless population.
Culture Trip creates stories that reveal what is unique and special about a place, its people and its culture.
Find out more about the Budapest Bike Maffia here: https://theculturetrip.com/europe/hungary/articles/cycle-the-hungarian-capital-with-the-budapest-bike-maffia/
To get more Culture Trip visit:
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council housing 在 Indrani Kopal Youtube 的最佳貼文
Tumbuk Estate: How long more to wait?
Indrani Kopal | May 4, 10 08:34PM
The long-promised housing scheme for ex-workers of Tumbuk estate is now still nowhere in sight.
The former workers who are currently residing at the estate quarters are demanding for the housing scheme promised to them by their former employer, MAIKA Holding Bhd.
In 2006, MAIKA promised to undertake and complete a housing scheme that was supposed to have commenced construction in April 2008 but till today this has not happened.
In the deal that transpired between the workers, MAIKA Holding and the plantation union NUPW was that, when the workers were terminated on 31 Mar 2006, they will be given their termination benefits and ex-gratia payment in accordance with the labour law.
And it was also agreed then that the promised workers' ex-gratia payment will be utilized to settle the down payment for the purchase of property under the workers housing scheme.
Dreams were built on the promises made.
Four years down the road, concerns are raised when nothing when nothing has been implemented, although many meetings were held and housing plans were shown.
Two of the workers shared with Malaysiakini their grievances.
"In 2006, MAIKA made all sorts of promises to build proper housing for the plantation workers. Today, these promises have yet to be fulfilled," lamented Kuala Langat District Council (MDKL) councillor G Vannirselvan during the interview.
He said that four years has passed yet nothing concrete has been achieved to resolve the matter.
MAIKA's lawyer reported in Tamil Nesan on April 15th, 2010, just 12 days prior to Hulu Selangor by-election that if only the Selangor state goverment had acted sooner, the delay in the Tumbuk estate housing problem could have been avoided.
Maika Holdings chief executive officer S Vell Paari also pointed that Selangor State Exco Dr A Xavier Jayakumar's intervention in the issue should have speeded up the title clearance process that has been pending at the district office.
However in December 2008, MAIKA Holdings Berhad was informed by the Kuala Langat district office to determine the rightful ownwership of the property and to respond within a month of the notice, failing the district office would treat the matter as closed.
MAIKA apparently did not respond to that request.
While all fingers pointing at Dr Xavier and Selangor State goverment for delaying the approval of the land title, Malaysiakini managed to get his interview to clarify the matter in the midst of the busy Hulu Selangor by-election.
Camera: Maran Perianen
Photos: Arvind Raj
Voice over: Oliver Kumareyan Shanmukam