The Permanent Secretary for Housing, Rosanna Law, said on Sunday that people could receive the police force’s “Good Citizen Award” for helping the authorities combat public housing abuse.

Speaking on a TVB programme, she said the next round of income and assets declaration forms would be distributed to more than 250,000 tenants on Tuesday, in which they have until the end of May to declare information including family income, properties owned in Hong Kong, and whether they are continuously living in the unit.

She advised people to come forward if they suspect public housing tenants are abusing the system.

“You must first report with a real name so that there won’t be random or false reporting. We will then have a face-to-face interview with the informant to understand the situation. Those who report mischievously wouldn’t show up to these,” she said.

“Thirdly, we must be successful in at least giving a notice to recover the unit to prove that this is a real and genuine case. Then we will consider a reward, referencing the ‘Good Citizen Award’. We really hope that it can be launched this year.”

She also added that vehicles owned by tenants are considered assets, and that departments have stepped up inspections in public housing carparks to detect potential public housing abusers.

“For those who have lived in public housing for a period of time, it is not a surprise that some tenants can save up for a car given that their rent is cheap and if they are stable,” she said.

“However, if there are more expensive-looking cars among those who are newly admitted to public housing, or living in the newer public housing estates, or even those who have China-Hong Kong license plates, we will definitely inspect those as these are potential signs of public housing abuse.”

She noted that it would take the authority time to process the new round of returned declarations due to the department’s limited manpower.